The US military has struck a motorboat in the Caribbean Sea, killing four people. US Southern Command says the vessel was used for drug trafficking and was sailing on established routes for illegal drug transport.
The operation was carried out on Sunday by forces from the Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere. The Southern Command identified the boat as a high-speed vessel used by suspected drug traffickers.
“Confirmed intelligence has established the vessel's active involvement in drug trafficking“, the US Southern Command said.The US military reported four casualties and described the dead as “narco-terrorists“. Their names, nationalities or the exact coordinates of the strike were not released.
The Associated Press notes that the US military has not presented evidence that the boat was transporting drugs. A published video shows a moving vessel engulfed in an explosion.
The incident is part of the Donald Trump administration's ongoing campaign against suspected drug traffickers in Latin America since September 2025. According to data cited by the Associated Press, at least 235 people have died in 70 strikes on boats so far.
Washington presents the operations as a measure against drug shipments to the United States. However, the lack of publicly presented evidence of the cargo of the vessels hit remains part of the controversy surrounding the campaign.
Sources: Anadolu Agency