The U.S. military conducted its latest operation as part of Operation Southern Spear on Thursday, killing two suspected “narco-terrorists” in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The strikes were announced in a post on X by U.S. Southern Command.
“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,” read the post. “Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Two narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed.”
It is the first military strike on a suspected drug trafficking vessel since Jan. 23, in which two people were also killed in the Eastern Pacific. So far, at least 119 suspected drug traffickers have been killed in military strikes as part of Operation Southern Spear that President Donald Trump authorized in September 2025.
Earlier on Thursday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on X that Operation Southern Spear has caused some “top cartel drug-traffickers” to stop their activities due to the “recent (highly effective) kinetic strikes in the Caribbean.”
“This is deterrence through strength,” Hegseth said. “@POTUS is SAVING American lives.”
The latest strike comes on the same day Gen. Francis L. Donovan assumed command of U.S. Southern Command. Donovan will “oversee U.S. military operations and engagements across Latin America and the Caribbean.”
“It is an honor to assume command of U.S. Southern Command and to lead a warfighting headquarters capable of joint operations at range, speed, and scale with the dedicated men and women who work tirelessly to strengthen security, stability, and partnerships across the Western Hemisphere,” Donovan said in a statement quoted on X. “Together with our partner nations, we will continue to address shared challenges, uphold democratic values, and ensure a safe and prosperous future for the region.”
