December 15, 2025 — The U.S. military conducted lethal strikes on three suspected narco-trafficking vessels in international waters on Sunday, killing eight individuals the military identified as narco-terrorists, according to U.S. Southern Command.

The strikes were carried out by Joint Task Force Southern Spear at the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as part of Operation Southern Spear, U.S. Southern Command announced on social media platform X.

“Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and were engaged in narco-trafficking,” the command stated.

The military said the vessels were operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Three individuals were killed in the first vessel, two in the second, and three in the third, according to the announcement.

The strikes represent the latest military action in the Trump administration’s expanded operations in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific regions. Since September, U.S. forces have conducted strikes on at least 21 vessels the administration claims were trafficking drugs, with more than 80 people killed in total.

U.S. Southern Command did not provide details on the specific terrorist organizations allegedly operating the vessels, the exact location of the strikes, or the type of weapons systems used.

The military operations have drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and legal experts who have questioned the legal basis for the strikes. Congress recently announced plans for a review of the military actions against vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.