The Joint Task Force Southern Spear of U.S. Southern Command carried out a lethal kinetic strike against a vessel in the eastern Pacific yesterday, killing six men identified as narco-terrorists linked to Designated Terrorist Organizations.
The attack was ordered by four-star General Francis L. Donovan, commander of SOUTHCOM, and announced this Monday through the official X account of Southern Command. According to the statement, intelligence confirmed that the vessel was traveling through known drug trafficking routes. There were no casualties among U.S. military forces.
Southern Command issued the following statement: "On March 8, by order of the SOUTHCOM commander, General Francis L. Donovan, the Southern Spear Joint Task Force executed a lethal kinetic strike against a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was traveling through known drug trafficking routes in the eastern Pacific and was involved in drug trafficking operations. Six male narco-terrorists were eliminated during this action. No U.S. military personnel were injured."
This is the first reported attack in March 2026 and is part of the Southern Spear Operation, a military campaign launched in September 2025 under the Trump administration that combines aerial surveillance, naval interdictions, and lethal kinetic strikes against vessels linked to drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean.
Since the start of the operation, the Pentagon has reported at least 130 deaths in over 38 attacks. Under the specific command of General Donovan, who took command of SOUTHCOM on February 5, the attacks have intensified: two deaths on February 5, two on February 9, three on February 13, eleven on February 16 in three coordinated attacks, three on February 20, and three more on February 23.
Donovan replaced Admiral Alvin Holsey, who was retired prematurely for disagreeing with the bombing plans against drug vessels pushed by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The legal framework of the operation is based on the designation of cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, which allows for the use of lethal force in international waters without the need for capture or prior legal proceedings.
The campaign, however, has generated increasing international controversy. Families from Trinidad and Tobago filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. under the Death on the High Seas Act and the Alien Tort Statute, claiming that Chad Joseph, 26, and Rishi Samaroo, 41, were fishermen with no ties to drug trafficking who were returning from Venezuela when their vessel was hit. Colombia and several Caribbean governments have also reported that some victims were civilians.
Human rights organizations warn that the attacks are carried out without prior verification of identities or public confirmation of drug shipments, which could constitute a violation of international humanitarian law. The Pentagon has repeatedly defended the legality of the operations under U.S. and international law.
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