MIAMI February 9, 2026 – U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) reported that Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a suspected narco-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific on February 9, 2026, resulting in the deaths of two individuals and the survival of one.
The operation, directed by SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, targeted a vessel intelligence sources confirmed was operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations and actively engaged in drug trafficking along known routes.
Declassified footage released by SOUTHCOM shows a high-speed go-fast boat traveling through open waters before being struck, resulting in multiple explosions that engulfed the vessel in flames and smoke.
Following the strike, U.S. forces immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to initiate search and rescue operations for the survivor.
The action is part of Operation Southern Spear, an ongoing counter-narco-terrorism campaign in the region aimed at disrupting illicit trafficking networks.
This marks the latest in a series of similar engagements conducted under the operation. SOUTHCOM described the individuals killed as “narco-terrorists.”
No further details on the survivor’s condition or any recovered contraband have been released.
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