US Military Conducts Strike on Suspected Narco-Terrorist Vessel in Caribbean

Photo credit: US SOUTHCOM

The United States military carried out a strike on a vessel allegedly linked to designated terrorist organisations in the Caribbean on June 21, killing two suspected narco-terrorists and leaving six survivors who were later rescued, according to US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).

SOUTHCOM said intelligence assessments indicated the vessel was operating along known drug-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was actively engaged in narco-trafficking activities at the time of the strike.

The operation was conducted by Joint Task Force Southern Spear under the direction of SOUTHCOM Commander General Francis L. Donovan.

In a post on X, SOUTHCOM said: "On June 21, 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 narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Two male narco-terrorists were killed during this action, and there were six male survivors. Following the engagement, USSOUTHCOM immediately notified U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivors. No U.S. military forces were harmed. @DeptofWar #OpSouthernSpear"

According to the military, the US Coast Guard launched a search-and-rescue operation immediately after the strike and recovered all six survivors. No US military personnel were injured during the operation.

A video released on social media appeared to show a fast-moving vessel travelling across open waters before being hit by a projectile. The footage then showed the boat engulfed in flames. The authenticity of the video could not be independently verified.

The strike is part of a broader US military campaign targeting groups Washington describes as "narco-terrorists". Since September, the US military has reportedly conducted more than 60 strikes, with the overall death toll from those operations exceeding 210 people.

The campaign has intensified under President Donald Trump, who has characterised major drug cartels in Latin America as terrorist organisations and argued that the United States is engaged in an "armed conflict" with them.

Trump has defended the operations as a necessary escalation to disrupt narcotics trafficking networks and combat the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, where drug overdoses continue to claim thousands of lives annually.

US officials have maintained that the strikes are aimed at dismantling criminal networks involved in drug production, transportation and distribution across the Americas.

Further details about the targeted vessel, its affiliation, and the identities of those killed have not been released.