Overview
- U.S. Southern Command said a Feb. 5 strike in the eastern Pacific destroyed a vessel it labeled as run by Designated Terrorist Organizations, killing two people with no U.S. casualties reported.
- Gen. Francis L. Donovan directed the operation on the day he assumed command of SOUTHCOM, marking the first publicly announced strike under his leadership.
- The action is the second publicly acknowledged strike of 2026 and one of only two disclosed since U.S. forces captured Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3.
- Official tallies reported by multiple outlets place the campaign’s death toll at about 128, with at least 38 vessels hit across roughly 36 airstrikes since early September as the strike pace has recently slowed.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed some cartel leaders have halted operations because of the strikes, while lawmakers, human-rights groups, and a new wrongful-death lawsuit continue to challenge the evidence and legal basis for the campaign.