SOUTHCOM: U.S. Forces Strike Narco-Trafficking Vessel in Eastern Pacific, Killing Six, as Southern Spear Campaign Expands
The March 8 strike brings the confirmed death toll from Operation Southern Spear to at least 156 to 157 people across approximately 46 vessels since the campaign began in September 2025.
WESTERN HEMISPHERE — U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific on March 8, killing six people the military described as “narco-terrorists.”
The strike, ordered by SOUTHCOM Commander Marine General Francis L. Donovan, was carried out by Joint Task Force Southern Spear (JTF-SS) against what SOUTHCOM stated was a vessel “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” transiting known narco-trafficking routes.
The March 8 strike brings the confirmed death toll from Operation Southern Spear to at least 156 to 157 people across approximately 46 vessels since the campaign began in September 2025.
No U.S. military forces were harmed in the action. SOUTHCOM released unclassified infrared video of the strike showing a small vessel on open water.
The strike comes two days after the campaign’s first expansion to land-based targets, when U.S. and Ecuadorian forces conducted a joint airstrike on March 6 against a suspected narco-trafficking supply complex inside Ecuador.
It also follows a week of significant diplomatic developments, including President Donald Trump’s formal recognition of Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodriguez’s government on March 7 and the announcement of a $165 million gold and minerals deal at the Shield of the Americas Summit in Miami.
The March 8 Strike
 | A guest post by
|