U.S. Military Says Two New Maritime Strikes Killed 8 on Suspected Narco Boats

Overview

• U.S. Southern Command said Joint Task Force Southern Spear struck three boats on Dec. 30 and two on Dec. 31 in international waters at Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s direction, killing three people in the first strike and five in the second.
• Military posts described the boats as operated by designated terrorist groups transiting known narcotrafficking routes and released short videos without identifying where the engagements occurred.
• Southcom said it alerted the U.S. Coast Guard to activate search-and-rescue; outlets reported no confirmed rescues, and one account said people abandoned the vessels and are being sought.
• The campaign that began on Sept. 2 now stands at at least 35 strikes and at least 115 deaths, based on official statements and media counts.
• International law experts, human-rights groups and the U.N. rights office have called the actions likely extrajudicial and urged formal probes, with regional tensions heightened by a U.S. force buildup and a partial tanker blockade affecting Venezuela.