Operation Southern Spear: SOUTHCOM Strikes Drug Boat, One Killed, Two Survivors

The United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced on Tuesday that a lethal kinetic strike on a drug-trafficking vessel left one male narco-terrorist dead and two survivors.

Tuesday’s strike is the most recent known of military operation of its nature part of Operation Southern Spear, a broad and ongoing U.S. military counter-narco-terrorism security campaign. SOUTHCOM disclosed in an official statement that the strike was carried out by Joint Task Force Southern Spear at the direction of Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan.

SOUTHCOM noted that intelligence confirmed that the struck vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations.

“One male narco-terrorist was killed during this action, and there were two male survivors,” the statement read. “Following the engagement, USSOUTHCOM immediately notified U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivors. No U.S. military forces were harmed.”

SOUTHCOM published a 5-second-long unclassified video of the kinetic strike on social media.

Since the start of Operation Southern Spear last year, SOUTHCOM has carried out over 60 publicly known strikes against drug-trafficking vessels in Eastern Pacific and Caribbean waters. At press time, the strikes have reportedly killed at least 208 individuals identified as narco-terrorists. Tuesday’s strike is the second publicly known to have occurred throughout June and comes after a June 3 strike against another drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing two male narco-terrorists on board.

“Drug cartels and narco-terrorist organizations operate throughout the Western Hemisphere, producing and moving illicit drugs, trafficking in humans, weapons, and contraband, and destabilizing the region through violence and corruption,” SOUTHCOM stated on its website. “SOUTHCOM, in support of the President’s directive and through operations like Operation Southern Spear, deploys joint task forces and leverages interagency and international partnerships to detect, disrupt, and dismantle these networks.”

As part of SOUTHCOM’s efforts to counter criminal cartel activities in the Americas, Gen. Donovan visited Guatemala this month and met with President Bernardo Arévalo and other officials of his administration. The encounter served to expand bilateral defense partnership between the U.S. and Guatemala under the Shield of the Americas counter-cartel coalition led by the United States and President Trump.

“General Donovan’s visit reflects the United States’ recognition of Guatemala’s leading role in regional efforts to confront narco-terrorist networks and deny them safe haven in the Western Hemisphere. Guatemala’s recent successes in this area are a testament to its commitment and leadership,” SOUTHCOM said on June 4.

“Consistent with President Trump’s America First Policy, and at the direction of the U.S. Department of War, U.S. Southern Command is strengthening cooperation with committed partners across Central America, South America, and the Caribbean to detect, disrupt, and dismantle the violent cartels and U.S.-designated terrorist organizations threatening our citizens, our economies, and our shared security,” the text continued.

Gen. Donovan’s visit to Guatemala and meeting with President Arévalo occurred days after the Central American nation reportedly reached an agreement with the United States to allow U.S. military forces to conduct joint strikes in Guatemalan territory against drug trafficking groups operating in the country. A similar agreement was signed between the U.S. and Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa in March. This week, Noboa met with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon to discuss bilateral cooperation in the fight against narco-terrorism and the eradication of illegal mining operations by criminal gangs in Ecuadorian territory.

Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.