On Monday, December 29th, the US military announced that it had launched an operation in the international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean against a vessel suspected of engaging in drug trafficking, resulting in the deaths of two individuals. This is part of the ongoing anti-drug military mission that the US has been actively pursuing in recent months.
According to the US Southern Command (Southcom), the vessel was navigating along known drug trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, engaged in drug smuggling activities. Intelligence indicated that the vessel was operated by a group designated by the US as a terrorist organization. During the operation, the US military killed two male “narco-terrorists,” with no casualties reported on the US side.
The military did not disclose the specific name of the group involved. The Southern Command emphasized that this operation was part of the “Operation Southern Spear” anti-drug mission, occurring in international waters and executed under the direct orders of the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth.
According to foreign media reports, since September 2nd of this year, the US military has conducted operations against at least 30 vessels suspected of drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea regions, resulting in a total of 107 deaths.
The US stated that these actions aim to curb the illicit drug trade, reducing the threat posed by drugs to American citizens and regional security.
President Trump has repeatedly stated that the maritime operations against drug trafficking vessels have had a significant impact on drug smuggling networks, substantially reducing the flow of drugs and weakening the operational capabilities of transnational criminal organizations. The government explained that one of the reasons for launching such operations is that the US is engaged in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug trafficking groups.
However, critics, including Democrats and a minority of Republicans in Congress, have questioned the lack of congressional authorization for these operations. Additionally, the governments of Colombia and Venezuela have openly criticized the actions of the US military.
In addition to the maritime operations, President Trump announced on Monday that the US military recently targeted a port facility associated with drug trafficking.
Trump stated that there was a “big explosion” at the site, where the US military destroyed the “drug-loading dock area”.
Reports have indicated that the facility mentioned by President Trump is located in Venezuela. However, these claims have not been confirmed by the Venezuelan government, and the US has not disclosed the specific location of the facility.
The US government has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of being involved in drug trafficking and collaborating with gangs designated by the US as terrorist organizations. Maduro has denied these allegations.