U.S. Forces Kill 11 Suspected Drug Traffickers in Pacific and Caribbean Operations

U.S. forces killed 11 suspected drug traffickers in coordinated maritime operations in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, according to Reuters and U.S. Southern Command.

The strikes took place on Monday in separate actions targeting vessels along known drug smuggling routes. U.S. Southern Command reported four men killed in the first Pacific operation, four in a second Pacific encounter, and three during a Caribbean interception. No U.S. personnel were injured.

Military officials described the boats as operating in trafficking corridors in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, with those killed allegedly linked to criminal networks on regional narcotics routes.

The operations are part of an expanded anti-narcotics campaign launched under President Donald Trump, involving repeated maritime interdictions since late 2025.

Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have criticized such actions as possible extrajudicial killings lacking judicial oversight, highlighting tensions between aggressive drug enforcement and concerns over accountability and civilian protections at sea.