U.S. Military Kills Two in Caribbean Strike on Suspected Drug Boat

The U.S. military struck a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean on Sunday, killing two men and leaving six survivors, according to USNI News and AP News.

“US strike on an alleged drug boat kills 2, leaves 6 survivors, in the Pacific Ocean The U”

ABC News

USNI News said the strike was conducted by the Joint Task Force Southern Spear and that U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue operations were activated, with Rescue Coordination Center Venezuela taking over operations.

ABC News

AP News reported that the latest attack “now number at more than 60” and that it brought the number of people killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military to more than 210 since the Trump administration began targeting “narcoterrorists” in early September.

USNI News said the Trump administration has said the suspected drug boats were carrying illicit narcotic fentanyl and cocaine, and it noted that it was not clear what effect the strikes are having on fatal overdoses in the United States.

AP News added that U.S. Southern Command said it targeted alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes, while the military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs.

AP News said a black and white video posted on X showed a boat speeding through the water before being struck by a visible projectile and then bursting into flames, while it also reported that the military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs.

The Hill reported that U.S. Southern Command stated in a post on X that the strike was carried out as part of “Operation Southern Spear” against a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations.”

Al Jazeera

The Hill quoted Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of Southcom, directing the strike, and it said Southcom stated that “Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean.”

AP News said President Donald Trump has justified the attacks as an escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses, but it also said critics have questioned the overall legality and effectiveness.

AP News further reported that on Thursday, U.S. lawmakers demanded that the Pentagon release “unedited video” of the very first strike after reports emerged that the U.S. chose to conduct a follow-up strike on survivors of its initial attack.

USNI News said that with the two confirmed deaths, the total number of people killed in U.S. strikes on suspected drug boats is at 210, although the number could be higher as many of the survivors of strikes are presumed dead.

“The United States military says it has carried out another attack on an alleged drug trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing at least two people”

Al Jazeera

USNI News also said that with the strike on Sunday, the U.S. has conducted 66 strikes since September 2025, and it cited CDC data suggesting the strikes have had little effect on fatal overdose levels in 2025.

AP News reported that it was unclear if the survivors of this strike were rescued, and it said the Coast Guard suspended its search for survivors for the June 16 strike a day later with “no signs of survivors or debris.”

The Hill said the strike comes days after a separate strike on another boat that was allegedly trafficking drugs, which left three dead, and it reported that strikes in the Caribbean have killed at least 212 since early September.

AP News said the Pentagon’s watchdog planned to look into whether the U.S. military followed an established targeting framework, and it noted that the evaluation is focused on the six-phase Joint Targeting Cycle rather than the legality of the strikes.