US Military Strike Kills Two in Pacific Narcotics Interdiction Operation

The U.S. military executed a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific on Monday, resulting in two deaths and triggering a search and rescue operation for a lone survivor. The operation, conducted by Joint Task Force Southern Spear under the direction of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), targeted a craft identified by officials as being operated by designated terrorist organizations. The U.S. Coast Guard has been activated to assist in the search for the remaining individual.

The strike is part of Operation Southern Spear, a maritime campaign initiated in September to disrupt narcotics trafficking. Since its inception, the operation has resulted in over 120 deaths across approximately 38 strikes. The administration classifies those targeted as "unlawful combatants," citing a classified Justice Department finding that allows for lethal force without judicial review in international waters.

Simultaneously, U.S. forces boarded the sanctioned tanker Aquila II in the Indian Ocean following a pursuit from the Caribbean. Defense officials stated the vessel was operating in violation of an established oil quarantine against Venezuela. The boarding is part of a broader effort to seize tankers associated with the "shadow fleet" used to bypass international sanctions, with officials vowing to capture all vessels attempting to evade the blockade.