World

US says two killed in strike on suspected drug vessel

By AAP Newswire

Dec 30, 2025

The seal of the Department of War — The US military strike in the eastern Pacific was authorised by the Department of War. -AP

The US ‍military says it killed two men in a ⁠strike on a boat suspected of carrying drugs in international ‌waters in the eastern Pacific ‍Ocean.

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"Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on ‌a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organisations in international ‍waters," the US Southern Command said in a post on X.

"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," Southern Command said.

No US personnel were harmed during the operation, the military said.

As with its most recent attacks, the US armed forces added that the attack was authorised by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

The Pentagon has destroyed more than 30 boats during similar operations and killed more than 100 people without revealing their identities or the amount of narcotics the vessels were supposedly carrying.

The US military most recently struck a "low-profile vessel" allegedly trafficking drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean on December 22.

The Trump administration's strikes have prompted scrutiny from some members of Congress, in addition to human rights groups.

with EFE