By Zoila Palma: The U.S. military carried out a strike on an alleged drug-trafficking vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Friday, killing two people and leaving one survivor, according to U.S. Southern Command.
The action, directed by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, was conducted by Joint Task Force Southern Spear against a boat reportedly operated by groups designated as terrorist organizations.
U.S. Southern Command announced the strike on X, and the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed it had been notified and was coordinating search and rescue operations for the lone survivor.
The details of the rescue effort have not been fully disclosed, and it remains unclear how far those operations have progressed since Friday’s attack, CNN reports.
This marks the first known strike on an alleged drug-trafficking boat this year and follows a series of similar operations in 2025.
As part of Operation Southern Spear, U.S. forces have carried out dozens of strikes on suspected drug boats in the past year, killing at least 117 people.
The pace of strikes has slowed so far in 2026, with the most recent action before Friday occurring on December 31, when two boats were struck and five people were killed.
U.S. officials have publicly stated that the goal of these strikes and the military buildup in the Caribbean is to disrupt the flow of narcotics into the United States.
The post International News: U.S. Military conducts lethal strike on alleged Drug-Trafficking boat appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: The U.S. military carried out a strike on an alleged drug-trafficking vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Friday, killing two people and leaving one survivor, according to U.S. Southern Command. The action, directed by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, was conducted by Joint Task Force Southern Spear against a boat reportedly
The post International News: U.S. Military conducts lethal strike on alleged Drug-Trafficking boat appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
