The US Pacific drug boat strike killed two suspected narco-traffickers in the Eastern Pacific on August 23, U.S. Southern Command said. SOUTHCOM said the vessel was using established narcotics-trafficking routes.
Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere carried out the strike under SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan. The command said intelligence linked the low-profile vessel to active drug-trafficking routes.
SOUTHCOM announced the operation on August 24. It described the strike as part of its campaign against cartels and networks that it calls narco-terrorist organisations.
Donovan said the task force aims to accelerate and coordinate operations against those networks. He said U.S. forces would target cartel operations, leadership and drug shipments heading toward American communities.
CNN said the August 23 attack marked the first known U.S. military strike on an alleged drug boat since June 21. The reason for the pause in Caribbean and Eastern Pacific strikes remained unclear.
Before the pause, U.S. forces had destroyed at least 67 vessels since September 2025. The campaign had also killed at least 221 people. CNN based those figures on official announcements and its analysis of search-and-rescue efforts.
Read: U.S. Drug Boat Strike Kills 2 in Eastern Pacific
The Trump administration has told Congress that the United States is in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels. Some lawmakers and human rights groups have challenged the legal basis for the lethal strikes. They argue that authorities should prosecute suspected traffickers through traditional law-enforcement procedures.
Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine also raised concerns this month. He said his review of classified information suggested previous strikes may have killed people not involved in narcotics trafficking.
Kaine urged President Donald Trump to review the operations. He also called for an end to what he described as an illegal, costly and ineffective campaign.
