Watch: US Military Launches Another Deadly Strike On Suspected Drug Boat, Killing 2 & Leaving 1 Survivor

boat strike — Screengrab from X video posted by US Southern Command

A US military strike on a suspected drug-smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean has left two people dead and one survivor, officials said.

The operation took place on March 19 and is part of a campaign targeting vessels believed to be linked to drug trafficking routes.

US Southern Command said the vessel was a low-profile boat moving along a known trafficking route. It claimed intelligence showed the boat was involved in drug smuggling, but no proof has been made public.

After the strike, the US Coast Guard was informed and asked to begin a search and rescue operation.

The Coast Guard later recovered two bodies and one survivor from the water. All three were handed over to the Costa Rican Coast Guard. No US personnel were injured during the operation.

The latest strike brings the total number of deaths in similar US operations to at least 159 since September.

On March 19, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a low-profile vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the low-profile vessel was transiting… pic.twitter.com/iK04PghbTM

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) March 20, 2026

Over 40 such strikes have been carried out in the eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea as part of efforts to stop drugs from reaching the United States.

The campaign has faced criticism from legal experts, who question both its legality and the lack of clear evidence in many cases.

Some have also raised concerns about the use of lethal force at sea, especially when details about the targets are limited.

There are also doubts about how effective these strikes are. Much of the fentanyl entering the US is believed to come through land routes via Mexico, rather than by sea.

This has led some experts to question whether targeting boats in open waters is addressing the main problem.

References: theguardian, hindustantimes

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