US Military Kills 4 ‘Narco-Terrorists’ In Kinetic Strike On Another ‘Drug Boat’ In Eastern Pacific
It is the 22nd strike the US military has carried out against boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. Image courtesy: X.com/@Southcom
The US Department of Defense confirmed yet another deadly “kinetic strike” on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, acting on the direction of US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The strike, carried out on Thursday (December 4, 2025), by Joint Task Force Southern Spear under US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), killed four individuals.
Washington claims the boat was operated by a designated terrorist organisation. According to the United States Souhern Command, intelligence indicated that the targeted vessel was transporting illicit narcotics along a major narco-trafficking corridor. This latest operation marks the 22nd strike under the Trump administration’s aggressive maritime interdiction campaign aimed at disrupting drug networks.
A video of the new strike was shared on social media by the US SOUTHCOM, based in Florida, with a statement saying that the “Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel in international waters operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization”.
Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for the late Charlie Kirk’s Conservative nonprofit Turning Point USA, backed the decision, showing support for the Hegseth on X, saying “Every new attack aimed at Pete Hegseth makes me want another narco drug boat blown up and sent to the bottom of the ocean.”
In response, Hegseth said: “Your wish is our command, Andrew. Just sunk another narco boat.”
Trump administration justifying the escalating maritime strike strategy?
The Pentagon maintains that each strike complies with international law and the US Law of Armed Conflict. SOUTHCOM reiterated that these vessels are flagged based on intelligence assessments and are often unmanned or crewed by operatives tied to terrorist or transnational crime syndicates.
However, the US government has not publicly released evidence confirming the identities of those killed, the nature of the cargo, or the threat assessment behind each strike. Since the start of this campaign, at least 86 people have been killed, according to public reporting.
Notably, this was the 22nd strike the US military conducted against boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson defended the operations, asserting that all decisions undergo rigorous legal review and approval “by the best military and civilian lawyers up and down the chain of command.”
Why are US congressional committees investigating the September 2 Strikes?
It is worth mentioning here that both the US House and Senate have opened inquiries into two controversial strikes on September 2, 2025 targeting a boat originating from Venezuela. The second strike, which reportedly killed survivors of the initial attack, has prompted accusations of potential war crimes.
A defence official told NBC News that Navy Adm. Frank M. Bradley, then commander of Joint Special Operations Command, considered the survivors “legitimate military targets,” a justification that has intensified legal and political scrutiny.
President Donald Trump has publicly backed the decisions, stating he would support the release of video footage from the second strike and arguing that individuals piloting such boats are “guilty of trying to kill people in our country.”
Even as the government goes on to justify its moves, US Defence Secretary Hegseth has come under intense scrutiny over that strike after a report by the Washington Post claimed that US Defence Secretary Hegseth, in a verbal order, dictated the military to “kill them all”. Hegseth has denied issuing a “kill everybody” instruction for the strikes.
What to make of the increased US maritime strikes?
The widening US kinetic campaign signals a significant shift in Washington’s counter-narcotics posture, blending counterterrorism frameworks with maritime interdiction. Key regional governments, especially in Latin America, remain cautious, as the US increasingly targets vessels in international waters, potentially complicating bilateral relations.
The operations also coincide with broader tensions involving Venezuela, where Washington claims drug-trafficking networks overlap with hostile political actors and militia elements.
