The US military said Monday that it carried out a strike on an alleged drug-smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two people. US Southern Command said the Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere conducted the lethal operation on Sunday against a low-profile vessel travelling along a known drug-trafficking route.

The announcement marked the first reported strike of this kind after a pause of more than two months. Before that break, the US military had destroyed at least 67 vessels and killed at least 221 people since Operation Southern Spear began in September 2025.

Southcom commander General Francis L. Donovan reaffirmed the US military commitment against drug trafficking. He said the United States aims to apply comprehensive pressure on what he called narco-terrorists, disrupt their operations, dismantle their leadership and eliminate cartel terrorism across the region. Donovan described the operation as a demonstration of lethal precision, sustained capability and determination to protect the US homeland.