Joint Task Force Southern Spear, directed by Secretary Pete Hegseth, conducted lethal kinetic strikes on two vessels operated by designated terrorist organizations in international waters of the Eastern Pacific on December 18, killing five male narco-terrorists, U.S. Southern Command announced on X between 2:16 a.m. and 2:45 a.m. UTC on December 19. Intelligence confirmed the vessels were transiting known narco-trafficking routes and engaged in narco-trafficking operations, according to the Southcom post (status 2001840669313135099). Three narco-terrorists died in the first vessel and two in the second. No U.S. military forces were harmed. The action is tagged #OpSouthernSpear in the U.S. Southern Command statement posted during this 29-minute reporting window. These strikes follow the U.S. Justice Department's nationwide crackdown on the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, highlighted in an FBI press release shared on X late December 18, amid ongoing U.S. efforts against narco-trafficking as previously reported.
