Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth touted a series of U.S. military strikes targeting suspected narco-trafficking operations in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean, declaring that “President’s Day — under President Trump — is not a good day to run drugs.” His remarks came after U.S. Southern Command announced that American forces carried out three lethal operations against vessels it said were operated by designated terrorist organizations.
Turns out President’s Day — under President Trump — is not a good day to run drugs. https://t.co/8c5wMmQbQ2
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) February 17, 2026
According to a press release issued Tuesday by U.S. Southern Command, the strikes occurred late Feb. 16 at the direction of its commander, Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan. The operations were conducted by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and targeted three separate vessels identified through intelligence as participating in narcotics trafficking along established smuggling routes.
Southern Command said intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting known narco-trafficking corridors and were actively engaged in drug trafficking operations at the time they were struck. The military described the actions as “lethal kinetic strikes,” a term used to denote the deliberate use of military force resulting in fatalities.
Late on Feb. 16, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted three lethal kinetic strikes on three vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessels were transiting along known… pic.twitter.com/mib9XtptSB
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) February 17, 2026
Eleven male individuals described as narco-terrorists were killed in the operations. Four were killed aboard the first vessel in the Eastern Pacific, four more on a second vessel also in the Eastern Pacific, and three on a third vessel located in the Caribbean. The command stated that no U.S. military personnel were harmed during the strikes.
Hegseths’ comment underscored the administration’s emphasis on linking counternarcotics enforcement with broader national security priorities under President Donald Trump.
While maritime drug interdictions are a longstanding component of U.S. military and law enforcement cooperation in the region, the announcement of lethal strikes against vessels tied to designated terrorist organizations signals an escalation in the framing of certain trafficking networks as national security threats rather than solely criminal enterprises.
Southern Command’s statement did not specify the identities of the organizations involved or detail the types or quantities of narcotics believed to have been transported. Officials also did not elaborate on the specific assets used in the strikes. The command emphasized, however, that the operations were intelligence-driven and that no American service members were injured.
