US military carries out “lethal kinetic strike” on boat in Caribbean Video

The United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said on February 13 that US forces struck another vessel suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean, killing three people.

In a statement posted on social media platform X, SOUTHCOM shared an 11-second video clip showing a boat moving through open waters before being hit by what the military described as “a lethal kinetic strike,” triggering an explosion, Caliber.Az reports. 

On Feb. 13, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known… pic.twitter.com/y50Pbtexfi

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) February 14, 2026

The vessel “was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” the statement from SOUTHCOM said. 

US authorities did not provide evidence to support the allegation.

The latest strike comes as the administration of Donald Trump intensifies operations targeting suspected drug-smuggling routes across the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. Since early September, US forces have carried out at least 38 strikes on alleged drug boats in the region as part of efforts to curb international narcotics trafficking.

Trump has defended the campaign as a necessary escalation, stating that the United States is in an “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America.

The latest operation brings the official death toll from such strikes to at least 133, according to US figures. However, Washington has offered limited public evidence to substantiate its claims that those killed were “narcoterrorists.”

By Sabina Mammadli