On Monday, February 23, 2026, US Southern Command conducted a strike on a boat in the Caribbean Sea, killing three people. The military released a 20-second video showing a small boat with outboard engines exploding. Southern Command stated that intelligence confirmed the vessel was traveling on known narco-trafficking routes and engaged in trafficking operations, but did not provide evidence of drugs on board.
This is the 44th such strike since the campaign began in early September 2025, bringing the total death toll to approximately 150-151 people. The strikes have increased in frequency since Marine Corps Gen. Francis Donovan took command of Southern Command in early February, replacing Adm. Alvin Holsey, who reportedly expressed concerns about the operations before retiring.
The Trump administration characterizes these operations as targeting "narco-terrorists" and "designated terrorist organizations" as part of what it calls an "armed conflict" with cartels. The military has not provided evidence to substantiate drug trafficking claims for most strikes. Legal experts, UN officials, and civil liberties groups have argued these strikes constitute extrajudicial killings that violate US and international law, as civilians suspected of crimes cannot be lawfully targeted without imminent threat or due process.
