US forces kill 3 narco-terrorists in Eastern Pacific lethal strike operation targeting drug networks https://ift.tt/SVuNdp9

U.S. forces carried out a lethal strike Saturday on a narcotics vessel operated by a designated terrorist organization in the Eastern Pacific, killing three suspected narco-terrorists in international waters, according to U.S. Southern Command.

The strike brings the total number of suspected narco-terrorists killed to 82, with three survivors, in an ongoing U.S. campaign targeting drug-smuggling vessels tied to designated terrorist groups.

In a post on X, U.S. Southern Command said intelligence confirmed the vessel hit in Thursday’s strike was smuggling narcotics along a known trafficking route. The command described the strike as a "lethal kinetic operation" conducted in international waters as part of a broader effort to disrupt transnational criminal networks.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Thursday announced the official launch of Operation Southern Spear, a new mission targeting narco-terror networks across Latin America.

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Hegseth said on X that U.S. Southern Command and Joint Task Force Southern Spear will lead the mission to defend the homeland and dismantle narco-terrorist networks across the Western Hemisphere.

"This mission defends our Homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people," Hegseth said.

The U.S. carried out its 20th strike on suspected drug-trafficking boats last week, killing four alleged narco-terrorists, according to a Pentagon official.

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Since early September, strikes across the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean have destroyed dozens of vessels, many tied to Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang and Colombia’s Ejército de Liberación Nacional.

The campaign began Sept. 2 with a strike that killed 11 alleged members of Tren de Aragua and continued through October and November with a series of targeted operations that eliminated dozens more across known trafficking routes.

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U.S. forces have hit submersibles, fishing boats, and high-speed vessels, including one ELN-affiliated craft that drew criticism from Colombia’s president after three men were killed.

Several strikes took place near Venezuela’s coast, while others occurred in the Eastern Pacific, where most recent operations have been concentrated.

The Navy previously announced it would lead Operation Southern Spear under the U.S. 4th Fleet and Southern Command, employing "long-dwell robotic surface vessels, small robotic interceptor boats, and vertical takeoff and landing robotic air vessels."

Fox News Digital’s Mitch Picasso contributed to this report.