Overview
- U.S. Southern Command said Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out three lethal strikes on Feb. 16 that destroyed two Pacific vessels and reported 11 suspected 'narco‑terrorists' killed, a claim Reuters and U.S. releases first reported.
- A Los Angeles Times investigation published July 24 found at least 13 Mexican citizens have died in U.S. strikes on suspected narcotics vessels and linked eight people who left Punta Pérula, Jalisco, in mid‑February to the Feb. 16 strikes.
- Families and local sources from La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Nayarit, identified seven of the eight February victims by name and said the men worked as fishermen, sometimes transporting fuel to offshore boats to earn extra income.
- The Mexican Navy confirmed the strikes occurred outside Mexico’s exclusive economic zone, and President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico will not accept violations of its territory, while human rights lawyers warn the operations risk amounting to extrajudicial killings.
- The strikes are part of a broader U.S. campaign since last September that treats some cartel networks as designated terrorist groups, a policy shift that rights groups say has led to dozens of maritime attacks and hundreds of deaths and that now prompts calls for transparent investigations and diplomatic review.