To date, the death toll from such strikes targeting narco-traffickers is at least 110 since September.
Footage of a U.S. strike on three drug trafficking boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Dec. 29, 2025. U.S. Southern Command/Screenshot via The Epoch Times
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) struck five drug-smuggling boats Tuesday, killing eight people and causing the remaining occupants to abandon their vessels, prompting a search and rescue, the agency said Wednesday in two posts on X.
The two strikes came on Dec. 30 and Dec. 31.
Troy Myers is a regional reporter based in St. Augustine, Florida. His background includes breaking, criminal justice, and investigative writing for local news, producing on a national morning newscast in Washington, D.C., and working with an award-winning, weekly investigative news program. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his dog at the beach.
