US Carries Out New Strikes on Alleged Drug Boats, Killing 8

In a statement, U.S. Southern Command said that the vessels were operated by cartels which have been designated as terrorist groups by the administration.
US Carries Out New Strikes on Alleged Drug Boats, Killing 8
A still from footage of a boat strike targeting drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific on Dec. 15, 2025. @Southcom/X
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The United States on Monday carried out airstrikes on three boats allegedly involved in narcotics trafficking, killing eight people aboard the vessels.

“On Dec. 15, at the direction of [Secretary of War] Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted lethal kinetic strikes on three vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters,” U.S. Southern Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, wrote in a post on X announcing the airstrikes.