The U.S. military struck three suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Eastern Pacific on Monday, killing eight people, the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said.
On Dec. 15, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted lethal kinetic strikes on three vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters. Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known… pic.twitter.com/IQfCVvUpau
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) December 16, 2025
“Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and were engaged in narco-trafficking,” the command said. Three individuals were killed on the first vessel, two on the second, and three on the third.
The new strikes mark the 23rd through 25th U.S. operations against suspected drug boats in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean, bringing total deaths in such actions to at least 95.
The operations come amid rising U.S.-Venezuela tensions over strikes on alleged drug boats and the recent U.S. seizure of a sanctioned oil tanker off the country’s coast.
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced he has designated the Venezuelan government a “terrorist” organization and ordered a “complete and total” blockade of sanctioned oil tankers moving in and out of the country.
