The United States military has killed five more alleged 'narco-terrorists' in a pair of strikes on boats in the eastern Pacific, pushing the total death toll from its controversial maritime campaign to over 100. The operations, ordered by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, were announced by US Southern Command on Thursday, 18 December 2025.
Escalating Campaign in the Pacific
In a social media statement, US Southern Command said it conducted two strikes on vessels it designated as belonging to terrorist organisations. The strikes occurred on December 18 after intelligence indicated the boats were on known drug-trafficking routes. A video released alongside the post showed the two vessels being blasted out of the water before bursting into flames.
The command confirmed that three men were killed on the first vessel and two on the second, bringing the total number of fatalities in this specific operation to five. This follows another strike the previous day that killed four people. According to numbers released by the Trump administration, at least 104 people have now been killed since the campaign of boat strikes began in September.
Political Scrutiny and War Crime Allegations
President Donald Trump has defended the aggressive tactics as a necessary escalation to stop the flow of drugs into the United States. The campaign is also seen as part of a broader pressure strategy against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom the administration labels a terrorist and cartel leader. This week, Trump called for a total blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers and positioned American troops and ships near the country's coast.
However, the operation faces mounting scrutiny from lawmakers, particularly after a controversial 'double-tap' strike on 2 September. In that incident, a second missile was fired at a vessel in the Caribbean to kill survivors after an initial strike. Footage of that attack was shown to members of the House and Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees in a closed session on 4 December.
Democratic Representative Jim Himes, a ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, called the footage "one of the most troubling things I've seen in my time in public service." Despite calls for transparency, Defence Secretary Hegseth has stated that the unedited video from the 2 September strikes will not be released publicly.
Republican Defence of the Operations
Senior Republican figures have moved to draw a line under inquiries into the campaign. Senator Roger Wicker, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said on Thursday that he had seen "no evidence of war crimes." Similarly, Representative Mike D. Rogers, who leads the House Armed Services Committee, stated he was satisfied the operation followed a "lawful process." Their comments signal a likely end to congressional investigations into the legality of the deadly boat strikes, even as the military action continues to expand.
