The United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) reported this Friday that it carried out a new "lethal kinetic strike" against a vessel linked to organizations designated as terrorists in the eastern Pacific, as part of Operation Southern Spear.
According to the statement shared on the social media platform X, the operation was carried out by the Joint Task Force Southern Spear, under the command of General Francis L. Donovan.
U.S. intelligence confirmed that the vessel was navigating known drug trafficking routes and was involved in illegal operations. As a result of the attack, three men identified by Washington as "narco-terrorists" were killed. No casualties were reported among U.S. forces.
With this new operation, the total number of fatalities since the start of the campaign has risen to at least 147 people, according to counts based on official statements.
On February 10, the Pentagon reported 130 deaths in 38 confirmed attacks. This number was increased by three fatalities on February 13, eleven on February 16, and now three more on February 20, bringing the total to 147 deceased and 43 officially confirmed attacks.
The offensive was launched in September 2025 and is part of a broader strategy driven by the administration of President Donald Trump to strike at the maritime routes of drug trafficking in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific.
Washington argues that these actions aim to disrupt the logistical chains of transnational crime and deter organizations deemed direct threats to U.S. security.
In parallel, regional pressure has increased with the involvement of Mexico. This week, the Secretary of the Navy (SEMAR) confirmed the interdiction of a semi-submersible vessel over 250 nautical miles from the port of Manzanillo, with three crew members and more than 170 packages of suspected illicit cargo.
The Southern Command publicly praised the operation and highlighted bilateral cooperation as an example of hemispheric coordination against Drug trafficking.
The impressive U.S. naval deployment in the region remains active despite the relocation of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to the Middle East. In the Caribbean, units such as the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit are integrated into the same operational framework of Southern Spear.
So far, no details have been released about the nationality of the deceased in the most recent attack or the exact location where the operation took place.
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