Overview
- SOUTHCOM said Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out a lethal strike on April 24 against a vessel it linked to designated terrorist groups, killing two men and reporting no U.S. casualties.
- The command said intelligence showed the boat was moving along known drug routes in the eastern Pacific and was involved in narcotrafficking.
- U.S. military officials said they have conducted at least seven such actions in April, and media tallies now put deaths from the campaign at more than 180 across the region.
- Human rights groups and legal scholars say the pattern risks extrajudicial killings because the U.S. has not released public, verifiable proof that the boats carried drugs or posed an immediate threat.
- SOUTHCOM also highlighted partner work with Colombia, saying U.S. teams helped seize 3.2 metric tons of marijuana, as the maritime campaign that began in late 2025 continues into 2026.