❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. military struck three drug trafficking boats in the Eastern Pacific, resulting in the death of eight narco-terrorists.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The U.S. military’s Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and cartels designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) by the Trump administration.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The strikes occurred on a Monday in the Eastern Pacific.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and were engaged in narco-trafficking. A total of eight male narco-terrorists were killed during these actions—three in the first vessel, two in the second and three in the third.” — U.S. Southern Command

🎯IMPACT: The strikes are part of a broader campaign against drug cartels operating in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.

U.S Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) has announced another series of strikes in the Eastern Pacific on three vessels identified as being used by drug traffickers. The military action resulted in the destruction of all three vessels and the deaths of eight “male narco-terrorists.”

“Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and were engaged in narco-trafficking. A total of eight male narco-terrorists were killed during these actions—three in the first vessel, two in the second and three in the third,” SOUTHCOM wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) following the strikes.

Authorized by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the strikes are part of a broader operation by the Trump administration aimed at disrupting known drug trafficking routes in the Caribbean and along the Pacific coast of Central and South America. The latest operation brings the number of narco-traffickers killed in the ongoing strikes to an estimated total of 90.

Venezuelan cartels—including Cartel de los Soles, believed to be headed by the country’s dictator Nicolás Maduro—have been the primary targets of the U.S. military operation. The campaign, comprising primarily of U.S. Navy and Air Force assets, was launched in early September and is part of what President Donald J. Trump has designated as a “non-international armed conflict” against drug cartels. The America First leader has designated a number of Central and South American cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).

A previous strike on September 2 faced criticism after reports surfaced that survivors of an initial attack were killed in a follow-up operation on Sec. Hegseth’s instructions. However, Admiral Frank Bradley—the head of the Special Operations Command—told lawmakers on Capitol Hill earlier this month that he was the authorizing official for both the initial strike and secondary strike, and that Sec. Hegseth never gave an order to “kill everybody,” as alleged in the media. Additionally, the admiral stated that it appeared survivors were attempting to contact other nearby cartel boats in an effort to salvage the drug shipment. At this juncture, the survivors were deemed to be “still in the fight” and valid targets.

On Dec. 15, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted lethal kinetic strikes on three vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters. Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known… pic.twitter.com/IQfCVvUpau

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) December 16, 2025

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