Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel in the Caribbean on June 21, killing two men and leaving six survivors, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced. Gen. Francis L. Donovan, SOUTHCOM commander, directed the operation, which the command described as targeting a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” transiting known narco-trafficking routes.
On June 21, 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/34cDvvcwxe
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) June 22, 2026
SOUTHCOM said it immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate search-and-rescue operations. A Coast Guard spokesperson confirmed Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) Venezuela is leading the search. No U.S. military personnel were harmed.
The survivors’ prospects are uncertain. Following a separate strike on June 16 that left two survivors, the Coast Guard suspended its search the following day, stating there were “no signs of survivors or debris.” The status of those two men remains unknown.
On June 16, 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/UGBRt9Mbdm
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) June 17, 2026
The June 21 strike was the third since June 17 and the fourth this month. Operation Southern Spear has killed at least 213 people across 66 known strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific since September 2, 2025. In each announcement, SOUTHCOM has provided no public evidence that the targeted vessels carried narcotics.
President Donald Trump has characterized the operation as an “armed conflict” with Latin American cartels, citing the administration’s designation of 17 cartel and criminal organizations as terrorist groups to justify military force.
Senators last week included provisions in the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to withhold 75% of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel budget until the House and Senate Armed Services Committees receive unredacted video of the strikes.
The Pentagon’s inspector general announced in May it would evaluate whether SOUTHCOM followed established targeting procedures, excluding any assessment of the strikes’ legal basis.
SOUTHCOM has provided no update on the six survivors from the June 21 strike.
