The United States Southern Command carried out a lethal attack this Thursday, February 5, in international waters of the eastern Pacific, near Colombia, against a vessel that, according to intelligence reports, was navigating through routes frequently used for drug trafficking.
The operation resulted in the deaths of two individuals and is part of the military campaign promoted by President Donald Trump's administration under the name Operation Southern Lance.
The action was carried out by the Southern Spear Joint Task Force, the operational arm of Southern Command for these types of interventions.
In a statement released on the social network X, the agency reported that the attack was carried out "under the orders of the SOUTHCOM commander, General Francis L. Donovan," and detailed that it was "a lethal kinetic attack against a vessel operated by organizations designated as terrorists."
According to the official message, "intelligence confirmed that the vessel was navigating known drug trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was involved in drug trafficking operations. Two narco-terrorists were killed in the action. No U.S. military personnel were injured."
The Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, expressed his satisfaction with the success of the campaign.
"WINNING: Some of the top drug traffickers in the cartel at @SOUTHCOM The AOR have decided to cease all narcotics operations INDEFINITELY due to recent kinetic attacks (highly effective) in the Caribbean. This translates to deterrence through force. @POTUS is SAVING American lives," he wrote on X.
The most recent attack occurs days after Colombian President Gustavo Petro's official visit to Washington, where he met with Donald Trump.
Although details of the meeting were not disclosed, analysts have linked the reinforcement of operations in the region to the growing differences between both leaders on issues such as drug trafficking and military intervention.
A sustained climb in the sea
This new operation is the first of February and adds to a series of attacks that, since August 2025, have resulted in the deaths of at least 128 people, according to the most recent report provided by U.S. military sources.
Of these, at least 25 actions would have taken place in the Pacific and another 11 in the Caribbean Sea.
The campaign "Lanza del Sur" was officially launched last September, following years of geopolitical tensions with the regime of Nicolás Maduro and other actors identified by Washington as accomplices in transnational drug trafficking.
Since then, Southern Command has insisted that it is facing a “war against narco-terrorists”, although so far it has not provided conclusive evidence confirming that the attacked vessels were transporting drugs.
On January 23, a similar attack left two more dead in the eastern Pacific. According to the statement issued at the time, "the vessel was navigating known drug trafficking routes" and was operated by "designated terrorist organizations."
Critiques and demands: The debate on the legality of the attacks
The attacks have sparked criticism both within and outside the United States.
Human rights organizations, relatives of victims, and even legislators have questioned the legality of these military actions, as clear evidence of the boats' connection to drug trafficking or terrorist groups is not always presented.
On January 27, relatives of two Trinidadian citizens, Joseph and Samaroo, who were killed in one of last year's attacks, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government for "wrongful death."
The complaint is based on two legal instruments: the Death on the High Seas Act, which allows for lawsuits regarding homicides in international waters, and the Alien Tort Statute, which enables foreign citizens to sue in U.S. courts for violations of international law.
In the complaint, the relatives claim that these were "premeditated and intentional murders" that violate both U.S. domestic law and international standards against extrajudicial executions.
"These premeditated and intentional murders violate domestic law that prohibits murder and international law that forbids extrajudicial executions or arbitrary or unlawful deprivation of the right to life," states the legal document.
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