US Forces Strike Alleged Drug Trafficking Vessel in Eastern Pacific

U.S. Southern Command announced a strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Monday, killing two people suspected of drug trafficking.

The action is the first reported in about two months under Operation Southern Spear. The cumulative death toll from the nearly year-long campaign of boat strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific now exceeds 210 after more than 60 operations.

The Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere carried out the strike. No further details on the vessel's origin or cargo were immediately released.

The campaign has focused on disrupting maritime drug routes. Critics have questioned the legal basis and rules of engagement for the strikes, while the administration presents them as necessary enforcement against trafficking networks.