The U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) on Tuesday announced the confirmed kills of 11 alleged narco-terrorists in three separate “lethal kinetic strikes” on vessels in the eastern Pacific and the Caribbean.
SOUTHCOM said the vessels were operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. The strikes were part of the Department of War’s Operation Southern Spear, which has seized hundreds of thousands of pounds of illicit drugs and killed more than 100 suspected drug traffickers.
“Intelligence confirmed the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes and were engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” SOUTHCOM said in a post on X, which included footage of the strikes.
Late on Feb. 16, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted three lethal kinetic strikes on three vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessels were transiting along known… pic.twitter.com/mib9XtptSB
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) February 17, 2026
Four of the 11 male narco-terrorists were killed on the first vessel in the eastern Pacific, another four on a second vessel also in the eastern Pacific, and three on a third vessel in the Caribbean. SOUTHCOM said the strikes were conducted under the direction of Gen. Francis Donovan, who oversees the command.
No U.S. forces were harmed during the operation, according to SOUTHCOM.
The strikes are the latest in the Trump administration’s broader push against drug cartels, which officials have identified as a serious threat to national security.
In addition to the strikes, U.S. pressure prompted Mexican lawmakers in February to greenlight a joint exercise between U.S. Navy SEAL Team 2 and the Mexican Navy, scheduled to continue through April.
President Donald Trump said earlier this month that the administration plans to launch “very hard” land strikes in Latin America to further disrupt cartel networks. He noted that these efforts have already reduced drug flows by roughly one-third.
Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress have attempted to derail the administration’s strikes against suspected drug vessels.
In December, the Republican-controlled House shot down resolutions that sought to halt what Democrats described as “hostilities with any presidentially designated terrorist organization in the Western Hemisphere” unless authorized by Congress.
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