President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in Washington, as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, looks on.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
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Jacquelyn Martin/AP
WASHINGTON — On Saturday, the U.S. military conducted another operation in the eastern Pacific Ocean, targeting a boat suspected of drug smuggling. The action resulted in the deaths of three individuals, marking the fourth such operation this week and increasing the total number of fatalities to 205.
The U.S. Southern Command issued a statement regarding the operation, describing the boat as being “engaged in narco-trafficking operations” and linked to a designated terrorist group, although no evidence was provided to support these claims.
This action is part of a sustained campaign aimed at intercepting alleged drug-smuggling vessels navigating the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific regions.
A video shared by the military on social media depicts a small boat in the ocean, which is then struck and consumed by a fireball.
Since early September, these U.S. operations have resulted in a cumulative death toll of 205, with additional strikes reported on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. The Trump administration has declared this as an armed conflict with Latin American drug cartels, attributing them as a source of drug influx into American communities.
According to a post by the U.S. Southern Command on X, the directive for the strike was issued by Gen. Francis L. Donovan, who oversees U.S. military operations in Latin America.
