22 June 2026 , 11:34
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The US military has struck a vessel in the Caribbean, killing two people, alleging that the vessel was operated by "designated terrorist organisations" that it did not identify.
The US Southern Command said no US military forces were harmed in the operation. It described those killed as "male narco-terrorists," without elaborating.
There were six male survivors following the action, the US Southern Command said, adding that it had notified the US Coast Guard to conduct a search and rescue for those survivors.
"Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations," the military said in a post on X.
On June 21, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known… pic.twitter.com/34cDvvcwxe
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) June 22, 2026
This is the latest such attack condemned by rights groups as "extrajudicial killings" and which the Trump administration has said are aimed at "narco-terrorists."
Three days ago, the US military said that it had conducted a strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific killed three men.
The use of the military to attack suspected drug vessels represents a stark departure from how the US has historically dealt with such vessels.
In September, the US killed 11 people, who were allegedly members of the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua (TDA), in a strike on a vessel sailing in international waters.
Since then, it is believed that more than 200 people have been killed in US strikes on vessels allegedly transporting "narco-terrorists".
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at the time that the Trump administration is "working to keep Americans safe by strengthening cooperation on illegal immigration and countering transnational crime and terrorism in our region."
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