The US military has carried out a series of strikes on vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean believed to be involved in drug trafficking since early September, resulting in at least 202 deaths [1, 2, 3, 4].

The campaign, named Operation Southern Spear, was launched under President Donald Trump’s administration with the aim of disrupting drug shipments by targeting boats allegedly operated by designated terrorist groups, according to US Southern Command [1, 2, 4]. Southern Command stated the targeted vessels are involved in narco-trafficking but has not publicly provided evidence to support those claims [1, 2, 3, 4].

Recent attacks include a May 26 strike that killed one man and left two survivors, a May 27 strike killing two men, and a May 29 strike killing three men, pushing the total death toll above 200 [1, 2, 3, 4]. US Southern Command described the casualties as "male narco-terrorists" killed during the actions, with survivors rescued following the attacks [2, 4]. The US Coast Guard is notified to conduct search and rescue operations after the strikes [1, 2, 4].

However, the campaign has drawn criticism from legal experts and human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, which argue the strikes could be unlawful extrajudicial killings [2, 3, 4]. The American Civil Liberties Union condemned the Trump administration’s assertions about the targets as "unsubstantiated, fear-mongering claims" [3].

The Pentagon inspector general has begun a self-initiated review to assess whether military targeting procedures were followed, but this review will not address the legality of the strikes themselves [1].

Operation Southern Spear began in September 2025, targeting drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific amid claims that US overdose deaths are driven by Latin American cartels [1, 2, 4]. Death tallies differ slightly. The Associated Press reports at least 194 killed since the operation launched, AFP news agency tallies at least 195, while the latest US military figure cites over 200 dead [2, 3, 4].

The strikes continue, with no indication a pause or end is imminent.