U.S. strikes kill eight on vessels linked to narcotics trade
The United States military has carried out new strikes against five vessels it says were involved in illicit drug trafficking, killing eight people in operations conducted over two days, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
On December 30, U.S. forces struck three vessels suspected of transporting narcotics. Three people were killed in those strikes. The following day, December 31, two additional vessels were targeted. Three people were killed aboard one vessel and two aboard the other.
U.S. military command described those killed as “narco terrorists,” accusing the crews of operating along established drug trafficking routes.
In a statement published on social media, U.S. Southern Command said intelligence assessments confirmed that the vessels were moving through known narco trafficking corridors and were actively engaged in drug smuggling activities.
On Dec. 31, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on two vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes and… pic.twitter.com/4AE5u4cEff
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) January 1, 2026
The exact location of the strikes was not disclosed. The U.S. military also did not specify how many people were aboard the vessels prior to the attacks. According to the statement, the US Coast Guard was notified after the strikes and instructed to initiate search and rescue operations in the area.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the U.S. President Donald Trump had claimed that U.S. forces carried out a strike on a dock in Venezuela, alleging the facility was used to load boats with illegal drugs.
