Overview
- SOUTHCOM said a Dec. 17 strike in international waters killed four people, with no U.S. casualties, under orders from SecWar Pete Hegseth and executed by Joint Task Force Southern Spear.
- The action is part of Operation Southern Spear, bringing the tally to roughly 26 boat strikes and at least 99 fatalities reported by the administration.
- Wednesday’s strike followed Monday operations that targeted three alleged drug-trafficking vessels and killed eight people.
- Military posts described the targeted boat as operated by “narco-terrorists” along a known trafficking route, while releasing video of the blast without public evidence supporting the designation.
- President Trump defends the campaign as necessary to curb drug flows and characterizes it as an armed conflict with cartels.