Two people died when the US military struck a small boat in the eastern Pacific on Friday. It was the first attack of its kind in Latin American waters this year, after nearly three dozen in the second half of 2025.
US Southern Command announced the strike in a post on X. The boat was allegedly operated by “Designated Terrorist Organizations,” it said, and one person on board survived. The command said it “immediately” told the US Coast Guard about the survivor so search and rescue could begin. Where that effort stands is unclear.
A year of strikes
Friday’s strike was the first lethal action in Latin American waters since the January 3 attack on Venezuela that led to the capture and extradition of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Between September and December 2025, the government’s own public statements show at least 35 strikes that killed at least 117 people. The US has repeatedly said the boats carry drugs and belong to known trafficking groups. It has not presented evidence.
It is the fifth time a strike has left a survivor. After the first one, on September 2, survivors were killed in a follow-up attack, and that has drawn intense criticism and scrutiny. In October, the US Navy quickly picked up two survivors in the Caribbean, and they were sent home and released. Another October strike, near Mexico, left a survivor whom Mexican authorities were asked to recover; that person was eventually declared lost at sea. In late December, the Coast Guard searched for survivors of three boats struck at sea, the most extensive search so far, but called it off after four days.
Who is carrying them out
A large armada of Navy ships operates in Southern Command’s area of responsibility. Reports from several outlets say the strikes fall under US Special Operations Command rather than Southern Command.
Joint Task Force Southern Spear, the command group for the force in the Caribbean, has been in the region since late summer. The force is largely Navy ships, including the USS Gerald R. Ford, plus forward-deployed Air Force units. It took part in bombing several sites in Venezuela on January 3, while Army special operations units including Delta Force raided Caracas and seized Maduro. He is now in New York state awaiting trial.
The US has said it plans to keep the force in the Caribbean for the foreseeable future. Naval and Coast Guard personnel there have also helped seize oil tankers linked to Venezuela. Seven have been taken since December 10, the latest this past week, and Reuters reported that at least two captured ships were seen near Puerto Rico on Wednesday.
