US Southern Command released footage showing a strike on a vessel in the Caribbean tied to suspected drug trafficking routes. (Credit: @Southcom / X)

The U.S. military conducted a strike on a vessel in the Caribbean tied to suspected drug trafficking operations, killing two people, U.S. Southern Command said.

In a post on X, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out a "lethal kinetic strike" on May 4 at the direction of commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan.

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A suspected drug-trafficking vessel is struck during a U.S. military operation in the Caribbean on May 4, in this image taken from video released by U.S. Southern Command. Officials said the strike targeted a boat believed to be involved in narcotics trafficking. (U.S. Southern Command)

The command said intelligence assessed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and allegedly engaged in drug trafficking operations. It added that the vessel was operated by what officials described as designated terrorist organizations.

U.S. forces carried out a strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing two individuals, officials said. (U.S. Southern Command)

Two male suspected "narco-terrorists" were killed in the strike, and no U.S. military personnel were harmed, according to the statement.

The strike is part of an ongoing campaign targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters that has continued since early September and has killed at least 188 people in total. Other strikes have taken place in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

The U.S. conducted a lethal kinetic strike on an alleged drug trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific on April 15, 2026, killing three suspected narco-terrorists, U.S. Southern Command said. (U.S. Southern Command)

The operations have ramped up again in recent weeks, even as the U.S. remains engaged in conflict with Iran, according to officials and prior military statements.

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U.S. officials have described the effort as part of a broader campaign against what the administration calls "narcoterrorism" in the Western Hemisphere.

Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues, and much more. 

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