The U.S. Coast Guard has conducted more than 30 boat strikes against suspected drug smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since September 2024, according to Department of Homeland Security data released in March 2025.
Operations have focused on intercepting go-fast boats and semi-submersibles believed to be transporting cocaine and fentanyl from South America to the United States, with strikes occurring primarily near the coasts of Colombia, Panama, and Costa Rica.
Each engagement follows a standardized use-of-force protocol requiring visual identification of contraband or threatening behavior before disabling gunfire is authorized, officials said.
The Trump administration has framed the tactic as part of an expanded maritime interdiction strategy targeting transnational criminal organizations, citing a 40% increase in suspected smuggling attempts compared to the same period in 2023.
Critics, including human rights monitors at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, have questioned the legality of sinking vessels without judicial oversight, particularly when crews abandon ships prior to engagement.
Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Linda Fagan testified before the House Homeland Security Committee in February that all strikes were conducted in international waters or with flag-state consent, though specific authorization details were not disclosed.
No U.S. Personnel have been injured in the operations, but at least eight suspected smugglers have been reported missing following vessel destructions, with recovery efforts hampered by sea conditions and limited regional cooperation.
The State Department has not issued public statements on diplomatic notifications to flag states of affected vessels, and requests for clarification from the Colombian and Panamanian foreign ministries remain unanswered as of early April 2025.
Further interdictions are scheduled through April under Operation Martillo, with additional Navy littoral combat ships deployed to the region to support surveillance and interdiction missions.
