2 killed in alleged drug-vessel strike in the Eastern Pacific Ocean
U.S. Southern Command said it sank an alleged drug vessel in the Eastern Pacific on Friday, which killed two crew members, while a third survived. Screengrab from U.S. Southern Command video
Jan. 23 (UPI) — Two were killed and another survived a lethal kinetic strike on an alleged drug vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, U.S. Southern Command announced on Friday.
Personnel with Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted the strike “on a vessel operated by designated terrorist organizations” at the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Southcom officials said in a news release.
“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” the release continued.
“Two narco-terrorists were killed, and one survived the strike. Following the engagement, U.S. Southcom immediately notified [the] U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivor.”
The Defense Department did not provide any more information on the strike, which was the first reported since U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores on Jan. 3.
Both were flown to New York, where they are charged with drug trafficking and related offenses in the U.S. District Court for Southern New York.
Southern Command began conducting aerial kinetic strikes on alleged drug-running vessels on Sept. 2.
It has carried out 36 strikes against an equal number of vessels that were said to be carrying potentially deadly narcotics, with many of the vessels sailing from Venezuela. At least 117 have died in the kinetic strikes.
A kinetic strike refers to the use of non-exploding munitions that rely on mass and velocity to knock out a target, according to the Department of Defense.