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The United States launched an attack Thursday on a vessel it said was operated by drug trafficking organisations in international waters in the Pacific near Colombia, killing two crew members.
The US military’s Southern Command announced the attack in a video posted on social media and confirmed the deaths of two people it described as “narco-terrorists.” The Pentagon said the target was part of maritime drug trafficking networks.
The strike is part of Operation Southern Lance, a campaign the Trump administration says aims to reduce the flow of narcotics into the United States.
According to Trump administration data, at least 119 people have been killed since August 2025 in attacks on suspected narcotics vessels as part of this operation.
The attack in the Pacific came after Colombian President Gustavo Petro visited Washington and met with US President Donald Trump following a period of diplomatic tensions between the two governments.
The increased US military presence in international waters began in the Caribbean and preceded the 3 January military operation when the US captured Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro in Caracas and transferred him to a federal prison in New York.
The Trump administration has significantly expanded military operations against suspected drug trafficking in the region, authorising the use of lethal force against vessels deemed to be transporting narcotics.
Critics have raised concerns about the legal framework for such strikes in international waters and the potential for civilian casualties. The administration has defended the operations as necessary to combat drug trafficking organisations it describes as threats to US national security.
US Southern Command did not provide details on the vessel’s flag, cargo or the circumstances that led to the attack. Colombia has not publicly commented on the strike near its waters.