The Pentagon has released footage of a deadly airstrike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the eastern Pacific, fuelling a heated debate in Washington over the legality of the administration’s aggressive counter-narcotics campaign.
The US military confirmed on Thursday that it had killed four men in a “lethal kinetic strike” on a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, which it identified as being operated by a designated terrorist organisation. The operation, ordered personally by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, marks the latest escalation in a controversial crackdown on maritime drug smuggling that has reportedly claimed over 80 lives since September.
US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) released video footage showing a speedboat moving rapidly across open water before being engulfed in a massive explosion. In a statement, the military said intelligence had confirmed the vessel was carrying illicit narcotics along a known trafficking route and was manned by “four male narco-terrorists”.
The strike was carried out by Joint Task Force Southern Spear, a unit at the forefront of the administration’s intensified war on cartels. Officials justified the use of lethal force by stating the vessel was operated by a “Designated Terrorist Organisation,” though the specific group was not named in the release.
This incident is the 22nd such strike in the region since late 2025. The campaign has drawn sharp criticism from legal experts and some lawmakers, particularly following reports of a previous incident in September where US forces allegedly targeted shipwrecked survivors of a similar boat strike.
“Your wish is our command… Just sunk another narco boat,” Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on social media shortly after the operation, responding to public calls for tougher action.
However, the strategy faces mounting opposition in Congress. After viewing classified footage of earlier operations, Representative Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, expressed deep alarm.
“The footage showed the United States military attacking shipwrecked sailors… bad guys, but attacking shipwrecked sailors,” Himes said, calling it “one of the most troubling things I’ve seen in my time in public service”.
The Trump administration has reframed drug interdiction not as law enforcement but as a military conflict against “narco-terrorism.” By designating smuggling groups such as Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua as terrorist organisations, the White House has authorised rules of engagement typically reserved for war zones.
Critics argue this approach blurs the legal lines between policing and warfare, potentially violating international laws regarding the treatment of non-combatants and survivors at sea. The administration, however, maintains that the tactics are “lawful and needful” to disrupt the flow of fentanyl and cocaine into the United States.
Despite the controversy, operations are expected to intensify. The US has recently bolstered its presence in the region with major naval assets, including the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to the Caribbean, signalling that “Operation Southern Spear” is likely to expand further into 2026.
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