U.S. Military forces conducted a lethal strike in the Caribbean Sea on Monday, February 23, 2026, resulting in the deaths of three individuals identified as suspected drug traffickers, according to a statement released by U.S. Southern Command.
The operation, carried out by Joint Task Force Southern Spear at the direction of Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, targeted a vessel allegedly operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence sources confirmed the vessel was traveling along established narco-trafficking routes, officials stated.
“A lethal kinetic strike” was employed against the vessel, resulting in the deaths of three “male narco-terrorists,” according to U.S. Southern Command’s post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. No U.S. Military personnel were harmed during the operation.
This strike is the latest in a series of controversial military actions authorized by the Trump administration against alleged drug smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean. As of February 17, 2026, the U.S. Has launched more than 40 such strikes, resulting in over 130 fatalities, according to estimates provided by the Defense Department. The strikes have drawn criticism from some members of Congress, who have questioned the legal basis for the operations and the lack of transparency surrounding them, though lawmakers have so far allowed the operations to continue without requiring prior congressional approval.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly commented on the operation via X, stating that President’s Day was “not a good day to run drugs.”
U.S. Southern Command has not yet provided evidence directly linking the individuals killed or the vessel itself to specific drug trafficking activities, nor has it released detailed information verifying the number of casualties. NBC News has reported it has not independently verified the military’s claims. The command maintains that the strikes are intended to disrupt narco-terrorist networks operated by designated terrorist organizations.
The latest attack brings the total death toll from the Trump administration’s strikes on alleged drug boats to at least 150 people in at least 44 attacks since early September. SOUTHCOM oversees military operations and security cooperation in Central and South America and the Caribbean, a region frequently used as a transit zone for illicit narcotics destined for the United States and international markets.
The U.S. Military carried out a similar strike on February 13, 2026, also targeting a vessel in the Caribbean allegedly operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations, resulting in three deaths. That operation was also conducted by Joint Task Force Southern Spear, at the direction of Gen. Donovan.
