Overview
- Southern Command said three people were killed on the first vessel and others on two companion boats jumped overboard before follow‑on strikes sank those craft.
- The military described the action as taking place in international waters and U.S. officials said the search area is in the Pacific, with a Coast Guard C‑130 deployed.
- U.S. officials said at least six people abandoned the vessels and the Coast Guard activated search-and-rescue and alerted nearby ships to assist.
- SOUTHCOM said the boats were operated by designated terrorist organizations and had transferred narcotics between them, but it released no coordinates or corroborating evidence.
- The latest strikes are part of Operation Southern Spear, now tallying roughly 33–34 attacks since September, drawing legal and congressional scrutiny and unfolding alongside a wider U.S. pressure campaign on Venezuela that has included a reported CIA strike on a coastal facility.