More than 120 people have been killed in Washington’s “war on drugs” since September, according to media estimates
American forces have carried out another strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing two people, the US Southern Command has said.
In a statement posted on Friday, the body said the operation was conducted a day prior at the direction of its commander, Gen. Francis L. Donovan, and targeted a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations.” It did not provide details on which group it belonged to.
The command claimed, citing intelligence data, that the boat was moving along “known narco-trafficking routes” and “was engaged in narco-trafficking operations.” No US military forces were harmed in the strike, the statement added. The command also released a video showing a small-sized boat hit by two explosions at an unspecified location.
On Feb. 5, 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… pic.twitter.com/B3ctyN1lke
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) February 6, 2026
The strike is part of what the administration of US President Donald Trump has described as a “war on drugs,” with a focus on destroying suspect vessels rather than boarding them. The campaign began in September 2025 and has killed 128 people across more than 36 attacks in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, according to an AP tally, though the pace has fallen since early January 2026.
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On January 3, the US kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who it accused of having links to the drug trade. Maduro, who is awaiting trial in New York, has denied the allegations, saying they only served as a pretext for regime change.
Critics of the “war on drugs” have also questioned the strikes’ legal basis, saying the administration has failed to produce enough evidence to prove the boats were being run by drug cartels. They have also pointed out that Congress has not authorized the use of military force.
Trump has defended the strikes, claiming that they have cut the sea-borne drug flow to the US by 94%.
Some regional leaders have voiced concerns about the campaign, including Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who has condemned the attacks as illegal and warned of escalating tensions, although this did not impede his meeting with Trump earlier this week.
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