US Southern Command carried out coordinated strikes against three suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea on 16–17 February 2026, resulting in the deaths of at least 11 individuals, according to US officials.
The operation targeted boats believed to be involved in large-scale narcotics smuggling operations bound for North America. Southern Command said the strikes were conducted as part of ongoing counter-narcotics efforts aimed at disrupting transnational criminal networks operating in maritime corridors.
Officials stated that intelligence and surveillance assets were used to track the vessels before the strikes were executed. The US military did not immediately release further details regarding the identities of those killed or the quantity of drugs seized.
Counter-narcotics missions in the region have intensified in recent years amid concerns over trafficking routes across the Pacific and Caribbean. Human rights advocates have previously called for transparency and accountability in maritime enforcement operations involving lethal force. The Pentagon said further assessments of the operation are ongoing.
