A US kinetic strike in the Eastern Pacific killed four alleged narco-terrorists on a vessel. This operation, directed by the US Southern Command, is part of a larger campaign that has killed 175 people since September, drawing criticism.
The US Southern Command on Tuesday (local time) conducted a kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations, killing four narco-terrorists. US Southern Command, which oversees US military activities in Latin America and Caribbean, said that their intelligence confirmed that the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes.
In a post on X, the Southern Command said, "On April 14, 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. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Four male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed." On April 14, 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. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known… pic.twitter.com/RH5ldx9tN0 — U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) April 14, 2026
Ongoing Operations and Controversy
The latest operations on board vessels in international waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean brings the overall death toll to at least 175 since early September, when US President Donald Trump ordered the attacks to stop what the White House claims are Latin American cartels transporting drugs to the US, as reported by Al Jazeera. Tuesday's killings came after two people were killed in a US strike on Monday, and five people were killed in two separate strikes on Saturday, also in the eastern Pacific. International legal experts and rights groups say the US military campaign amounts to "extrajudicial killings" in international waters and that the attacks have targeted civilian fishing boats, as per Al Jazeera.
Details of Previous Strike
Earlier on April 13, the US Southern Command conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations which resulted in the death of two narco-terrorists. Applying total systemic friction on the cartels. On April 13, 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. Intelligence confirmed the… pic.twitter.com/zZQKEPiSoI — U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) April 13, 2026
In a post on X, the US Southern Command said, "Applying total systemic friction on the cartels. On April 13, 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. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Two male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed." (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)