Third US Strike This Week on Suspected Drug Vessel Kills 3 in Eastern Pacific

The U.S. military struck another alleged drug-smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific on Friday, killing three men and pushing the campaign's total death toll past 200.

Death Toll Passes 200 as Military Hits Third Vessel This Week

A U.S. military strike on a suspected drug-smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean killed three men on Friday, according to ABC News US, bringing the cumulative death toll from the ongoing campaign to 202.

The strike was the third announced in a single week, following two earlier attacks disclosed on Tuesday and Wednesday. U.S. Southern Command described the targeted vessel as one "engaged in narco-trafficking operations" and operated by a designated terrorist organization, but provided no supporting evidence for either claim.

Friday's strike marked a visible departure from previous attacks: while military social media posts have routinely included footage, this appears to be the first released in color rather than black and white. The video shows a small vessel on open water before it is struck and consumed by a fireball, followed by a cut to what may be the same boat burning and surrounded by a large spread of parcels or other objects floating on the surface.

The monthslong campaign against alleged drug boats traversing the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific began in early September. The Trump administration has framed the operations as armed conflict with Latin American drug cartels, citing their role in the flow of narcotics into American communities.

U.S. Southern Command said the Friday strike was carried out at the direction of Gen. Francis L. Donovan, the top U.S. commander in Latin America. Donovan also met with Cuban military leaders near the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay on the same day, the command noted in its post on X.

Source: ABC News US