US kills 11 in 3 strikes on alleged drug-running boats

The U.S. military conducted airstrikes on three vessels it says were operated by "designated terrorist organizations" and were engaged in narco-trafficking, U.S. Southern Command announced Tuesday.

"Late on Feb. 16, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted three lethal kinetic strikes on three vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes and were engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Eleven male narco-terrorists were killed during these actions, 4 on the first vessel in the Eastern Pacific, 4 on the second vessel in the Eastern Pacific, and 3 on the third vessel in the Caribbean. No U.S. military forces were harmed," SOUTHCOM said in a statement posted to X.

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