On Tuesday (14), the U.S. military launched another strike against a vessel accused of transporting drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, leaving four dead in the fourth such attack announced in recent days.
According to a report by The New York Post, the operation is the latest in a series of strikes against boats that the Trump administration says were trafficking drugs in Latin American waters.
This campaign began in September last year and continues despite a shift in focus to the ongoing war with Iran. So far, 175 people have been killed as a result of these operations in the Pacific Ocean.
On social media, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) posted an aerial video showing a vessel rocking on the water before being hit by a projectile and exploding. This marks the fourth such attack announced in recent days, with the first and second boats struck on Saturday, while the third was hit on Monday.
The military said all vessels were “operated by designated terrorist organizations” and that intelligence confirmed they were “transiting along known drug trafficking routes in the eastern Pacific and engaged in narcotics smuggling operations,” though no evidence was provided to support these claims.
President Donald Trump said the U.S. is in an “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and justified the strikes as a necessary escalation to curb the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses killing Americans.
Photo and video: X @Southcom. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
On April 14, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known… pic.twitter.com/RH5ldx9tN0
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) April 14, 2026
