The U.S. military conducted another strike on a vessel it suspected of carrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, resulting in one fatality and two survivors, according to U.S. Southern Command.
Southern Command announced the strike on social media platform X, alleging the boat was “transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations.” After the attack, the command said it notified the U.S. Coast Guard to initiate search and rescue for the survivors. A video posted alongside the statement shows a boat traversing the water before being hit and engulfed in flames.
This strike brings the death toll from Operation Southern Spear to at least 208 since early September, when the Trump administration began targeting vessels and individuals it claimed were involved in drug smuggling. The operation has drawn sharp criticism over its legal basis, as officials have not provided public evidence that any of the boats were carrying drugs.
President Trump has asserted that the U.S. is in an “armed conflict” with Latin American drug cartels, arguing the strikes are necessary to stem the flow of drugs into the country and that congressional authorization is not required. However, narcotics experts told The New York Times last month that the campaign has not reduced cocaine trafficking to the U.S.
The financial toll is also mounting. A Brown University report in April estimated the total cost of Operation Southern Spear at $4.5 billion as of the end of March. The high expense and lack of tangible results have fueled further scrutiny.
In response to ongoing concerns, the Pentagon’s watchdog announced last month it would investigate whether the military followed established targeting procedures when deciding to launch such attacks. The evaluation will examine whether Defense officials adhered to the six-phase Joint Targeting Cycle, which includes a commander’s intent, target development, analysis, decision, execution, and assessment, as outlined in a May 11 letter from the Defense Department inspector general to Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security Bradley D. Hansell.
The operation’s legality and effectiveness remain hotly debated, with critics arguing that the strikes amount to extrajudicial killings without proper oversight. The Trump administration’s broader approach to Latin America has also drawn comparisons to its handling of other international conflicts, such as the ongoing tensions with Iran. For instance, Trump recently warned that a preliminary deal with Iran is not final and threatened resumed airstrikes if Tehran misbehaves, echoing the same unilateral posture seen in Operation Southern Spear.
As the Pentagon watchdog reviews the targeting process, the human and financial costs of the campaign continue to mount, with no clear evidence that the strikes are achieving their stated goal of disrupting drug trafficking.
