Washington, February 10 (QNA) - The United States military announced today that two people were killed and one survived in a strike targeting a vessel suspected of drug smuggling in the eastern Pacific Ocean, part of an ongoing campaign against maritime narcotics trafficking.

In a brief statement posted on the US Department of Defense's social media platform X, US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal strike on Monday against a vessel it alleged was operating along known drug trafficking routes and engaged in illicit narcotics operations.

Intelligence confirmed the boat was involved in drug trafficking, and two people were killed, while one person survived the strike. The United States Coast Guard was notified to activate search and rescue operations for the survivor.

The strike marks the latest in a series of US military actions against suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific, under a campaign that Washington describes as Operation Southern Spear, launched in September 2025. That operation involves targeted military action against boats allegedly tied to transnational drug networks, which US officials have labeled "narco-terrorists."

Since the campaign began, at least 130 people have been reported killed in similar strikes, according to monitoring by multiple news organizations, prompting debate among legal experts and rights groups over the legality and oversight of such operations in international waters. (QNA)