The U.S. military conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea on Sunday, killing two people and leaving six survivors. The operation, part of Operation Southern Spear, was the fourth such strike in June and the third in the last week. U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) stated the vessel was operated by designated terrorist organizations and was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes. The military described those killed as male narco-terrorists. The U.S. Coast Guard was notified to conduct search and recovery efforts for the survivors.
This strike follows similar operations on June 16 and June 18, which resulted in the deaths of three other suspected narco-terrorists. Since the Trump administration began targeting individuals it labels as 'narcoterrorists' in early September, more than 210 people have been killed in such strikes. The military has not provided evidence that the vessels were ferrying drugs, and critics have questioned the legality and effectiveness of these operations. President Trump has justified the strikes as necessary to combat drug trafficking and reduce fatal overdoses in the U.S., though critics argue that fentanyl, a major contributor to overdoses, is typically trafficked over land from Mexico.
The strikes have drawn condemnation from rights groups, which describe them as extrajudicial killings. U.S. lawmakers have demanded unedited video footage of the initial strike to assess the operations' transparency and legality.