The US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced on Monday (December 22) evening that the US military has carried out its 29th strike on drug traffickers in the waters of South America, Central America, and the Eastern Pacific.
The Southern Command of the US military posted on social media platform X that, “On December 22, under the command of Secretary of War Pete Haigses, the ‘Southern Spear’ joint task force conducted ‘lethal kinetic strikes’ on a low-profile vessel operated by a designated terrorist organization in international waters.”
The vessel was operating in the Eastern Pacific at the time. Similar to the Caribbean region, drug trafficking vessels in the Eastern Pacific have become a primary target for the US military’s anti-drug operations.
According to the Southern Command, intelligence confirmed that the vessel “was navigating along known drug trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and engaging in drug smuggling activities.”
The military stated that one man on board was killed in the attack.
During his second term, President Trump has designated multiple drug trafficking groups and similar criminal organizations as terrorist organizations, thereby enhancing US authority to combat these groups. Trump stated that these actions are part of his government’s efforts to curb the flow of illegal drugs (especially fentanyl) into the US.
At the same time, critics have pointed out the legal controversies surrounding such strike operations and argue that drug enforcement actions have traditionally been the responsibility of law enforcement agencies rather than the military.
To date, over a hundred individuals have died in such attacks, which have taken place against the backdrop of broader US pressure on the Maduro regime in Venezuela.
Trump has accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his government of running an international drug trafficking network.