US Carries Out Another Deadly Strike on Alleged Drug Trafficking Boat in Eastern Pacific

The strike killed two people, according to US Southern Command, as part of the Trump administration's escalating campaign against drug cartels in Latin America.

Published on Feb. 6, 2026

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The U.S. military announced it has conducted another deadly strike on a vessel accused of drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The strike killed two people, according to U.S. Southern Command, which said the boat was "transiting along known narco-trafficking routes" and "engaged in narco-trafficking operations." This latest attack raises the death toll from the Trump administration's strikes on alleged drug boats to 128 people since early September.

Why it matters

The Trump administration has justified these strikes as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs, but has provided little evidence to support claims of killing "narcoterrorists." The attacks have raised concerns about the use of lethal force and lack of transparency around these operations.

The details

According to the report, the U.S. military strike on the alleged drug trafficking boat occurred in the eastern Pacific Ocean. A video linked to the social media post shows the boat moving through the water before exploding in flames. U.S. Southern Command said the boat was "transiting along known narco-trafficking routes" and "engaged in narco-trafficking operations." This strike is the second known attack since the raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro last month.

  • The strike occurred on Thursday, February 6, 2026.
  • The death toll from the Trump administration's strikes on alleged drug boats has now reached 128 people since early September.

The players

U.S. Southern Command

The U.S. military's regional command responsible for operations in Central and South America, and the Caribbean.

Pete Hegseth

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

Donald Trump

The President of the United States who has said the U.S. is in "armed conflict" with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs.

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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 (ksgf.com)

“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 (Pete Hegseth's personal social media account)

What’s next

The U.S. military and administration have provided little evidence to support their claims about the effectiveness of these strikes or the identities of those killed. Further transparency and accountability around these operations will be closely watched.

The takeaway

The Trump administration's escalating campaign of lethal force against alleged drug traffickers in the Eastern Pacific has raised significant concerns about the use of military power, lack of transparency, and potential civilian casualties in the name of the war on drugs.