Overview
- Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out two strikes in the Eastern Pacific over the weekend, one Friday and one Sunday, that killed five men, according to U.S. Southern Command.
- The publicly known death toll from the maritime campaign that began in September has reached about 184 to 185 people, with roughly 55 strikes documented in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
- The Boston Globe reported Tuesday that the military has quietly increased secret fixed‑wing aircraft and armed MQ‑9 Reaper drones from bases in El Salvador and Puerto Rico, enabling more frequent attacks and greater reach.
- SOUTHCOM statements say the targeted boats were run by designated terrorist groups on known drug routes, though they do not identify the groups or drugs, and legal experts and some lawmakers say the killings may be unlawful without clear public evidence.
- Coverage diverges as SOUTHCOM and right‑leaning outlets describe those killed as “narco‑terrorists,” while USNI News, the Boston Globe and the Los Angeles Times focus on secrecy, prior use of a plane painted to look civilian, and growing demands for a public legal justification.