U.S. Strikes Suspected Drug Boat in Eastern Pacific, Two Killed as Search Begins for Survivor

Overview

• U.S. Southern Command reported a Feb. 9 strike on a suspected narcotics vessel in the Pacific that killed two people and left one survivor.
• The command said it alerted the U.S. Coast Guard to activate search-and-rescue for the reported survivor.
• Military statements said the boat was operated by groups the U.S. classifies as terrorists and was traveling along Eastern Pacific drug-trafficking routes.
• Media counts of the wider campaign vary, with one outlet citing 37 strikes and 121 deaths and others reporting 38 destroyed vessels and 130 fatalities since September 2025.
• The operation forms part of a months-long maritime campaign criticized by UN officials and experts, with lawsuits from victims’ families and no definitive public proof linking specific boats to drug smuggling.