US Strikes Another Alleged Drug Trafficking Boat in Eastern Pacific

The latest attack raises the death toll from the Trump administration's strikes on alleged drug boats to 128 people.

Feb. 5, 2026 at 11:31pm

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The U.S. military has carried out another deadly strike on a vessel accused of drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific Ocean, according to U.S. Southern Command. The strike killed two people, and a video shows the boat exploding in flames. This is the latest in a series of attacks that have killed a total of 128 people since September 2025.

Why it matters

The U.S. government has justified these strikes as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs, but critics argue they are a violation of international law. The families of two Trinidadian nationals killed in a previous strike have filed a lawsuit calling the attack a war crime, which could test the legal justification for the campaign.

The details

U.S. Southern Command said the boat 'was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations.' The Pentagon has not provided evidence to support claims of killing 'narcoterrorists,' and the frequency of the strikes has slowed since January after a month that only saw one strike.

  • The U.S. military has carried out these strikes since September 2025.
  • In December 2025, the Pentagon struck more than a dozen boats.
  • In January 2026, there was only one strike.

The players

U.S. Southern Command

The U.S. military command responsible for operations in Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean.

Pete Hegseth

U.S. Defense Secretary who claimed that some top cartel drug-traffickers have decided to cease all narcotics operations indefinitely due to the recent strikes, though he provided no evidence to back up this claim.

Donald Trump

The former U.S. President who justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs, though his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims.

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What they’re saying

“The boat 'was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations.'”

— U.S. Southern Command

“Some top cartel drug-traffickers' in the region 'have decided to cease all narcotics operations INDEFINITELY due to recent (highly effective) kinetic strikes in the Caribbean.'”

— Pete Hegseth, U.S. Defense Secretary

What’s next

The lawsuit filed by the families of the two Trinidadian nationals killed in a previous strike will test the legal justification for the U.S. government's campaign of attacks on alleged drug trafficking boats.

The takeaway

The U.S. government's campaign of strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in the Eastern Pacific has raised concerns about the legality and justification for these attacks, which have resulted in the deaths of over 100 people. The upcoming lawsuit could provide more clarity on the legal basis for these military operations.