Overview
- U.S. Southern Command said Joint Task Force Southern Spear struck a low-profile vessel on March 19 in the Eastern Pacific and initially reported three survivors.
- Costa Rican officials reported two fatalities and one person in critical condition, with a U.S. Navy force handing the bodies at sea to Costa Rica’s Coast Guard.
- SOUTHCOM released a short video of the explosion and said it alerted the U.S. Coast Guard to activate search-and-rescue, with the survivor and remains transferred to Costa Rican authorities.
- Gen. Francis L. Donovan directed the operation and told Congress this week that boat strikes are only one tool and likely not the most effective over the long term.
- The action is the latest in Operation Southern Spear, with media tallies citing roughly 45–46 strikes and about 156–159 deaths, as critics note the U.S. has not publicly shown evidence the targeted boats carried narcotics.