WASHINGTON: The US military said it killed two alleged drug traffickers in a strike on a boat in the eastern Pacific on Friday, while the Coast Guard was searching for a third person who survived.

“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said in a post on X that included a clip of a multi-engined boat being smashed by an explosion.

Three people were visible in the footage prior to the strike, and SOUTHCOM said it “immediately” notified the US Coast Guard to look for the one who survived.

President Donald Trump’s administration began targeting alleged smuggling boats in early September, insisting it is effectively at war with alleged “narco-terrorists” operating out of Venezuela.

But it has provided no definitive evidence that the vessels are involved in drug trafficking, prompting heated debate about the legality of the operations.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2026