(Eastern Pacific) US military strike kills three in second alleged drug boat attack this week

Source: The Guardian

US military strike kills three in second alleged drug boat attack this week

Move brings total number of people killed in US strikes on suspected boats since September to at least 148

Coral Murphy Marcos
Sat 21 Feb 2026 02.05 GMT

The US military launched a strike on an alleged drug smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific on Friday, killing three men in its second strike this week.

“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” US Southern Command, which oversees operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, said on Twitter/X.

No US military forces were harmed, according to Southern Command, which is now led by Gen Francis Donovan.

Friday’s strike brought the total number of people killed in US strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats since September to at least 148. Earlier this week, another US military strike killed 11 people, making it one of the deadliest attacks this year.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/20/us-military-strike-drug-smuggling-pacific