The U.S. military conducted another deadly strike on a vessel it accused of being involved in drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Thursday, killing two people, the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) confirmed. 

The operation was part of the ongoing Operation Southern Spear, which has seen repeated U.S. attacks on boats alleged to be carrying narcotics since late 2025.

"On Feb. 5, at the direction of SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations," , the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said in a statement on X.

This latest action brings the total number of people killed in suspected drug-boat strikes to at least 128 since the campaign began, with more than 36 individual attacks reported across the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific. The pace of strikes has slowed since early January 2026 after a high-profile U.S. military operation led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro — a move that has dramatically increased tensions in the region.

The Trump administration asserts that the strikes are aimed at disrupting narcotics trafficking that threatens the United States, framing them as part of a broader security effort. U.S. officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have argued that some major cartel networks have been weakened as a result, though detailed evidence supporting these claims has not been publicly released.

Critics, including lawmakers and legal experts, have sharply questioned the legality and justification of the campaign. Many argue the strikes lack clear evidence linking the targets to narcotics shipments and contend that lethal force against unarmed vessels in international waters raises serious questions under both U.S. and international law. Some families of victims have filed lawsuits alleging the attacks constitute unlawful killings.

The controversy comes as the Biden-era legal framework underpinning Operation Southern Spear — which labels cartel operatives as “unlawful combatants” and treats counter-drug efforts as a form of armed conflict — continues to draw scrutiny. Congressional Democrats have introduced measures to limit U.S. military operations in the region, but none have succeeded in curbing the campaign to date.

As the eastern Pacific strike dominates headlines, regional reactions and legal challenges are expected to persist, highlighting deep divisions over U.S. military strategy and its implications for international maritime law and hemispheric security. (ILKHA)