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The U.S. military carried out a deadly strike Thursday on a ship it said was involved in drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific, killing three men the command described as “drug terrorists,” according to the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
“On June 18, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal strike against a vessel owned by Terrorist Terrorist Organizations,” SOUTHCOM said in a statement.
“Intelligence agencies have confirmed that the vessel was traveling on known drug trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and is engaged in drug trafficking,” the statement continued.
The military said three men it described as “drug terrorists” were killed in the strike. SOUTHCOM did not say if there were any survivors.
US DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES ANOTHER DEADLY STRIKE AGAINST ‘NARCO-TERRORISS’
A suspected drug-smuggling ship bursts into flames following a US military strike in the Eastern Pacific on June 18, 2026. (US Southern Command)
No US military personnel were injured, the command said.
SOUTHCOM also released a short video showing the ship running through the water before it burst into flames. Additional footage appeared to show debris floating after the strike.
SOUTHCOM did not identify the location of the operation beyond that it occurred on known Eastern Pacific drug trafficking routes.
VIDEO SHOWS STRIKE ON SUSPECTED NARCO SHIP IN EASTERN PACIFIC, COAST GUARD SEARCHES FOR 3 SURVIVORS
The US Southern Command said the strike by the Joint Task Force Southern Spear targeted a vessel linked to drug trafficking. (US Southern Command)
The strike was the latest in a months-long campaign launched by the Trump administration aimed at dismantling cartel-linked smuggling networks.
According to the Associated Press, the latest operation brings the number of people killed in US military strikes against ships since September to at least 211.
The move comes after SOUTHCOM said on Tuesday it had carried out a strike in the Eastern Pacific that killed one person it described as a “narcotics terrorist.” Two other people survived the attack, the military said.
THREE NARCO TERRORISTS KILLED IN US MILITARY STRIKE ON DRUG SHIP IN EAST PACIFIC.
Debris is floating in the Eastern Pacific following a US military strike that officials say killed three suspected narco-terrorists. (US Southern Command)
Last week, President Donald Trump announced that SOUTHCOM “delivered a swift and deadly strike” that killed Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as Niño Guerrero, the former leader of the Tren de Aragua.
Previously, the US State Department had issued a reward of up to $5 million for information that could lead to the arrest or conviction of this 42-year-old Venezuelan man.
Although the military has released videos and statements describing the targeted vessels as being linked to designated terrorist organizations, they have generally not released evidence identifying those killed or indicating that the vessels were carrying drugs.
WAR ON THE SIDES? THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS IT IS IRON’S CHARGE TO BEAT NARCO-TERRORIST GROUPS.
A vessel identified by the US Southern Command as operating on known drug trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific on June 18, 2026. (US Southern Command)
The campaign has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers, legal experts and human rights groups who have questioned the legal basis for using lethal force against suspected smugglers outside the traditional battlefield.
The Eastern Pacific remains an important corridor for drug trafficking, with criminal organizations often using small vessels to transport drugs to North America.
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SOUTHCOM has played a key role in the Trump administration’s expanded campaign against cartel-linked smuggling networks and international criminal organizations.
Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
