Overview
- U.S. Southern Command said Gen. Francis L. Donovan directed Joint Task Force Southern Spear to hit a vessel in the eastern Pacific it described as operated by designated terrorist organizations.
- An 11‑second strike video was released, and the Coast Guard said Ecuador’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Center is leading search‑and‑rescue efforts for the lone survivor.
- The Feb. 9 operation is the third publicly acknowledged strike this year, with media tallies placing cumulative deaths since September in roughly the 120–130 range across about 38–39 strikes.
- The administration asserts a classified Justice Department finding to treat targeted groups as unlawful combatants and to conduct lethal strikes without judicial review, a stance questioned by lawmakers and rights groups citing scant public evidence.
- The strike unfolded as U.S. forces also reported boarding a sanctioned tanker in the Indian Ocean under an oil quarantine tied to broader pressure on Venezuela.