U.S. forces struck two suspected narco boats Thursday within the Japanese Pacific, killing a complete of 5 folks on board, in line with U.S. Southern Command.
The boats have been suspected of trafficking illicit narcotics and have been allegedly operated by members of designated terrorist organizations, SOUTHCOM mentioned, with out figuring out the organizations.
“Intelligence confirmed that the vessels have been transiting alongside identified narco-trafficking routes within the Japanese Pacific and have been engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” reads a SOUTHCOM social media announcement revealed to X late Thursday.
Three folks have been killed in a strike on the primary vessel, and two within the second vessel, bringing the full dying toll as much as 104.
Thursday’s strikes mark the third announcement this week from SOUTHCOM. On Monday, U.S. forces killed eight folks in strikes on three boats suspected of ferrying illicit narcotics. SOUTHCOM struck one other boat Wednesday, killing 4 folks on board, USNI Information beforehand reported.
Dubbed Operation Southern Spear, U.S. forces are concentrating on boats suspected of ferrying narcotics as a part of the Trump administration’s marketing campaign towards drug trafficking.
The latest posts, together with Thursday’s announcement, haven’t indicated what illicit narcotics the boats are allegedly trafficking. President Donald Trump beforehand mentioned the U.S. believes the boats carry fentanyl. On Monday, Trump signed an govt order classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction.
Fentanyl, an opioid extra highly effective than heroin, is taken into account the first explanation for overdoses within the nation, particularly after 2016, in line with knowledge from the Nationwide Institute on Drug Abuse. Nearly all of fentanyl that comes into the U.S. comes by land from Mexico, with provides to provide the illicit narcotic typically coming from China. The medicine that enter the U.S. from Mexico typically come by passenger car, in line with a September 2025 Authorities Accountability Workplace report. A separate Dec. 18 GAO report locations the blame for the U.S. drug overdose deaths on Mexican drug gangs.
Lawmakers on either side of the aisle have raised questions in regards to the legality of the strikes. The Fiscal Yr 2026 Nationwide Protection Authorization Act, which Trump signed into legislation late Thursday, requires the Pentagon to show over unedited footage of the strikes. If Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth doesn’t present the knowledge, Congress can withhold 1 / 4 of his journey finances.
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