Washington / South America – U.S. military forces have carried out a strike on a suspected narcotics-smuggling vessel in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America, reportedly killing two to three people on board, according to CBS News and cited by Dalena Reporters.
According to the report, the vessel was targeted by U.S. naval or marine assets in what was described as the eighth operation of its kind since early September. The strike is said to have followed intelligence indicating the ship’s involvement in maritime drug transport.
CBS News attributed information to two U.S. officials who confirmed the number of fatalities at “two or three”. They noted that the U.S. military has been escalating such operations, having carried out previous strikes in the Caribbean and elsewhere, resulting in at least 34 deaths across all operations.
The news comes as part of a broader U.S. campaign targeting maritime routes used by South American drug cartels. The report noted that the Pentagon announced formation of a special unit in October tasked with enhancing interdiction efforts.
There has been no official statement from the White House, the U.S. Department of Defense, or regional governments confirming the strike or providing full details. Media analysts caution that verification remains limited, and the operational parameters—such as exact location, the nature of the target vessel, and whether the strike was pre-authorised under international law—remain unclear.