Overview
- U.S. Southern Command said two small vessels were struck Saturday, April 11, in the Eastern Pacific, leaving five dead and one survivor.
- SOUTHCOM posted a short aerial video of the blasts on X and said it alerted the U.S. Coast Guard to launch a search-and-rescue effort for the survivor.
- With these strikes, public tallies now record at least 168 people killed and roughly 49 boats destroyed since the campaign began in September, in what officials described as the first reported strikes since March 25.
- The Pentagon says Joint Task Force Southern Spear targets cartel-run boats designated as terrorist assets, while critics and rights groups dispute the legality and note the lack of public evidence that specific vessels carried drugs.
- No U.S. forces were hurt, and the operation’s growing toll continues to draw scrutiny from lawmakers, U.N. experts, and families who have filed lawsuits challenging the strikes’ lawfulness and effectiveness.