The U.S. military carried out another lethal strike Friday against a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the Caribbean, killing three individuals, as part of its ongoing counter-narcotics campaign under Operation Southern Spear.
According to United States Southern Command, Gen. Francis L. Donovan directed Joint Task Force Southern Spear to execute what officials described as a “lethal kinetic strike” on a vessel allegedly operated by designated terrorist organizations. SOUTHCOM said no U.S. service members were injured in the operation. Video released alongside the announcement shows the vessel traveling along a known smuggling route before being struck and destroyed.
The strike marks the fourth publicly disclosed operation of 2026. Earlier this week, U.S. forces conducted a similar strike in the Eastern Pacific that reportedly killed two individuals and left one survivor. Since the launch of Operation Southern Spear in September 2025, officials say there have been 39 confirmed engagements across the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
On Feb. 13, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known… pic.twitter.com/y50Pbtexfi
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) February 14, 2026
Defense officials argue that repeated interdictions have disrupted established trafficking corridors used to move cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and precursor chemicals toward the United States. War Secretary Pete Hegseth previously stated that some top cartel traffickers have chosen to suspend narcotics operations in response to the campaign’s intensity.
Operation Southern Spear has received backing from President Donald Trump, who has framed the maritime strikes as part of a broader strategy to dismantle narco-terror networks operating in the Western Hemisphere. Administration officials contend that sustained military pressure is intended both to degrade cartel capabilities and to deter future trafficking attempts.
The maritime campaign unfolds alongside wider regional security operations. On January 3, 2026, U.S. Special Forces conducted a raid in Caracas that resulted in the capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, who faces U.S. charges related to drug trafficking and narco-terrorism. That operation, involving elite military units and extensive air support, signaled an expanded willingness to target alleged narcotics-linked leadership figures as well as smuggling networks at sea.
Officials describe the combined operations as a multi-domain effort designed to strike trafficking organizations across supply chains, leadership structures, and transportation routes. According to the administration, each engagement is intended to reduce the flow of illicit drugs into the United States and increase pressure on transnational criminal networks operating throughout the region.
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