US military hits three more alleged drug-trafficking boats in Eastern Pacific, killing eight Video

The US military said it carried out strikes on three additional boats suspected of drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific on December 15, marking the latest action in a controversial campaign launched under the Trump administration.

In a statement, US Southern Command said the operation was conducted at the direction of Defence Minister Pete Hegseth, Caliber.Az reports.

According to the military, Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out “lethal kinetic strikes” against three vessels operating in international waters. US officials said intelligence indicated the boats were traveling along "known narcotics trafficking routes" and were operated by groups designated by Washington as terrorist organisations.

"A total of eight male narco-terrorists were killed during these actions—three in the first vessel, two in the second and three in the third," the Southern Command said.

The command also released a 47-second video that appears to show three separate strikes on boats at sea.

On Dec. 15, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted lethal kinetic strikes on three vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters. Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known… pic.twitter.com/IQfCVvUpau

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) December 16, 2025

The previous strike in the same region took place on December 5. The US military began targeting vessels in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean in early September, framing the campaign as part of what the Trump administration has called a “non-international armed conflict” against drug cartels it has designated as terrorist groups.

The campaign has drawn growing criticism in the United States. Democratic lawmakers, along with a small number of Republicans, have questioned whether the administration has the legal authority to carry out the strikes and have called for clearer evidence that the targeted vessels were engaged in drug trafficking.

The operations have also heightened tensions with regional governments. The Trump administration has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government of collaborating with drug cartels and has criticised Colombia for failing to curb trafficking. Both countries have condemned the strikes, and Venezuela has accused Washington of using the campaign as a pretext to pursue regime change.

By Sabina Mammadli