Trump Administration Strikes Three Boats in the Pacific

The Trump administration struck again in the Pacific as part of its intensified campaign against drug cartels, targeting three alleged drug-trafficking boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Monday and killing eight people, even as the operation unfolds amid mounting scrutiny over the legality of a previous strike. The latest action adds to a rapidly rising death toll from recent US strikes in the region, which is now approaching nearly 100 fatalities in total, fueling fresh domestic and international debate over the scope, justification, and oversight of the administration's expanding use of force at sea. Amid the controversy, several fear the Trump administration is pushing the United States into another “forever war,” with some comparing the trajectory to the buildup and long entanglement of Iraq.

U.S. Southern Command used X to announce fresh strikes in the eastern Pacific, placing the action inside the Trump administration's widening campaign at sea. The message set the scene with a clear timeline and chain of command. It said the operation happened on Dec. 15, and it linked the decision directly to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. It named the unit that carried out the mission, Joint Task Force Southern Spear, and described what it did in blunt military language, saying it conducted “lethal kinetic strikes” in international waters. The short statement landed as the latest public marker of an intensifying tempo, with officials choosing to release details in real time as questions continue to swirl around earlier strikes.

Known narco-trafficking corridors

The post then moved through the targets and the outcome, describing three vessels and the route they were taking when they were hit. Southern Command said intelligence confirmed the boats were moving along known narco-trafficking corridors in the eastern Pacific and were engaged in trafficking. It said the vessels were operated by “Designated Terrorist Organizations,” and it reported eight men killed across the three boats, broken down vessel by vessel. The command wrote: «On Dec. 15, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted lethal kinetic strikes on three vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters. Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and were engaged in narco-trafficking. A total of eight male narco-terrorists were killed during these actions—three in the first vessel, two in the second and three in the third.»

The latest strikes fit into a months-long pressure campaign against Venezuela that has steadily intensified since the first reported US strike in September, marking a clear escalation in posture and presence across the region. Since that initial action, Washington has moved thousands of troops closer to Venezuelan waters, deployed a carrier strike group into the Caribbean, and maintained a near-constant show of force through naval and air operations. Alongside these moves, US officials have repeatedly issued public warnings directed at President Nicolas Maduro, sharpening the tone as military assets accumulated nearby. Each step has built on the last, transforming what began as a single strike into a sustained campaign combining military deployments, visible deterrence, and direct threats, with the Caribbean increasingly serving as the central stage for this prolonged confrontation.

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