The United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) has confirmed that U.S. forces carried out a new series of lethal military strikes against multiple vessels operated by designated terrorist organizations.

The strikes resulted in the killing of at least eight narco-terrorists as part of an escalating maritime counterterrorism campaign.

In a statement posted on X, U.S. Southern Command said:

“On Dec. 15, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted lethal kinetic strikes on three vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters.”

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According to officials, intelligence assets detected suspicious maritime activity in the Eastern Pacific.

The vessels were spotted moving along established narcotrafficking corridors.

“Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and were engaged in narco-trafficking,” the unit said.

Southern Command reported that all eight individuals killed in the operation were male narco-terrorists.

“A total of eight male narco-terrorists were killed during these actions—three in the first vessel, two in the second and three in the third,” the command said.

The statement noted that 94 alleged narco-terrorists have been killed since the operation began.

The post included a video of the boats being destroyed by missiles.

WATCH:

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On Dec. 15, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted lethal kinetic strikes on three vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters. Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known… pic.twitter.com/IQfCVvUpau

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) December 16, 2025

Ongoing Campaign Targeting Latin American Terror Networks

The United States has conducted dozens of strikes across the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean since September.

The strikes have been targeting maritime assets belonging to Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, Colombia’s Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), and other transnational criminal-terrorist organizations.

The campaign began on September 2 with a strike that killed 11 alleged members of Tren de Aragua.

It was followed by repeated operations that dismantled a range of trafficking vessels, including submersibles, fishing boats, and high-speed craft.

Administration officials say the mission is designed to choke off the flow of narcotics fueling cartel violence and drug deaths inside the United States.

Trump Administration’s “Fentanyl Free America” Plan

Earlier this month, the Trump administration rolled out its “Fentanyl Free America” initiative.

The plan aims to disrupt the entire supply chain of illegal fentanyl and precursor chemicals entering the country.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said strikes on Caribbean drug-trafficking vessels are already having an impact by reducing smuggling routes into U.S. territory.

Monday’s announcement underscores the administration’s growing reliance on direct military action to dismantle narco-terrorist networks operating beyond U.S. borders and signals that the campaign is far from over.

READ MORE – Democrat Senator Accuses Pete Hegseth of ‘War Crimes’ Over Drug Cartel Strikes