U.S. military kills six in boat strike in eastern Pacific
U.S. forces attacked a vessel suspected of drug smuggling in the eastern Pacific, bringing the death toll from such operations to at least 156 since September.
March 8, 2026
The U.S. Defense Department said Sunday it carried out a strike against a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing six people aboard the vessel.
U.S. Southern Command announced the operation on social media, releasing an 11-second video showing a stationary boat with two or three outboard engines floating in the water before suddenly exploding.
General Francis Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, stated that intelligence had confirmed the vessel was transiting known drug-trafficking routes in the eastern Pacific and was engaged in drug-smuggling operations.
The strike represents the latest in a sustained campaign against suspected drug-trafficking vessels. According to U.S. Southern Command, the operation has resulted in at least 156 deaths since the campaign began in September 2025. The command reported that 45 vessels have been attacked during this period as part of what officials described as Operation Southern Lance, targeting drug-trafficking activity in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.
Southern Command characterized the vessel as being operated by terrorists engaged in narcotics operations.
Legal specialists on the use of lethal force have raised concerns about the strikes, arguing they constitute illegal extrajudicial killings. These experts contend that the military cannot deliberately target civilians who do not pose an imminent threat of violence, even if suspected of engaging in criminal acts. The Trump administration has not publicly provided evidence of drug smuggling related to the specific vessels targeted.
U.S. Southern Command, which oversees military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean from headquarters near Miami, cited unspecified intelligence in justifying the strike.