The United States conducted three attacks against three vessels allegedly operated by drug traffickers in the Eastern Pacific, near Colombia, as part of the "Southern Lance" operation.
During the attacks, eight crew members were killed, according to a publication by the Southern Command on its X account, which attached a video of the operation ordered by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
Military intelligence confirmed that the vessels were moving along known drug trafficking routes and actively participated in the transport of drugs and weapons.
According to the Task Force office, this operation is part of the "Southern Lance" operation, whose strategic objective is to disrupt the flow of narcotics and neutralize terrorist threats that use maritime routes for their illicit activities.
The new attack comes in a context where the U.S. president, Donald Trump, has repeatedly stated that he will launch land operations in Venezuela, justified by the need to eradicate drug trafficking operations.
Last week, Trump stated that the Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, was "next," in reference to the pressure strategy he is carrying out against Venezuelan Nicolas Maduro.
The U.S. military deployment in international waters has left more than 26 vessels destroyed and around 90 dead.
