A US military strike on a suspected drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean Sea has killed four people, according to the US Southern Command.
The attack took place on Sunday against what the military described as a “go-fast vessel” travelling along an established narcotics-trafficking route. Southern Command said intelligence had confirmed the boat was involved in drug smuggling, but provided no evidence that it was carrying drugs.
Video posted on X appeared to show an explosion destroying a moving boat. The military has not released further details about those who were killed.
The latest operation brings to at least 235 the number of people killed in 70 US military boat strikes since the Trump administration began its campaign against alleged traffickers in September 2025.
Most of the attacks have taken place in the eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The administration has described those targeted as “narcoterrorists” and says the strikes are intended to disrupt the flow of drugs into the United States.
President Donald Trump has said the US is in “armed conflict” with Latin American cartels, presenting the military action as necessary to prevent drugs reaching the country and contributing to fatal overdoses. His administration has provided little evidence to support its claims that those killed were smugglers.
The administration is also seeking agreements with allied countries to extend operations on land. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said in August that Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras had agreed to allow joint US military operations against criminal groups on their territory, although Guatemala denied reaching such an agreement. Ecuador began similar missions with the US in March.
