The US military conducted a lethal strike on June 3 against a vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two men identified as narco-terrorists, according to US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) [1, 2, 3]. SOUTHCOM confirmed that intelligence verified the vessel was traveling along known drug-trafficking routes and was engaged in narcotics operations [3]. "Two male narco-terrorists were killed during this action," SOUTHCOM said [1]. They also reported that no US forces were harmed in the strike [2, 3].
The strike is part of Operation Southern Spear, a US military campaign targeting vessels allegedly operated by designated terrorist organizations involved in drug trafficking [1, 2, 3]. Since September 2025, the campaign has conducted over 60 strikes, killing more than 200 suspected narco-terrorists. AFP has recorded at least 203 deaths, while the AP tally stands at 207 as of this latest strike [1, 3].
Previous strikes in the campaign include a June 1 attack that killed three suspected narco-terrorists in the Eastern Pacific and a separate operation in early May that killed two alleged narco-terrorists and left one survivor [3]. SOUTHCOM consistently describes these targeted vessels as part of designated terrorist groups involved in drug trafficking [2, 3].
Human rights groups and legal experts have raised concerns about the legality of the strikes, warning they could qualify as extrajudicial killings and may target civilians [1, 2].
US military officials say the focused efforts are to interdict dangerous narcotics flows along key Pacific routes. SOUTHCOM stated, "Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations" [3].
The next update on Operation Southern Spear is expected as the campaign continues tracking and targeting suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the region.
