US military attacks three more suspected drug boats in the Pacific, kills at least eight people

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The US military has carried out three attacks on ships allegedly operated by drug traffickers in the eastern Pacific near Colombia, killing at least eight people.

The operation is part of the “Spear of the South” campaign, the objective of which is to interrupt drug trafficking and neutralize terrorist threats on maritime routes.

Since September, the American army has sunk more than twenty anti-drug boats, killing at least 95 people, sparking controversy over the use of force against unarmed civilians.

The attacks come as President Donald Trump pushes to intervene militarily against Nicolas Maduro’s regime in Venezuela and increase pressure on Colombia.

The United States made this Monday three new attacks against three ships was allegedly operated by drug traffickers in the Eastern Pacific, near the coast of Colombia, killing eight people, as announced by Southern Command in a message published in a new episode of the operation Southern Spear.

The post made on social networks by the US military is accompanied by a video which shows the exact moment of the impact of the projectiles against the alleged drug boats. The operation, according to Southern Command, was authorized by the Secretary of War. Pete Hegseth against “terrorist organizations”.

Military intelligence justified the attack, carried out in international waters, by saying the ships were crossing known drug trafficking routes and they actively participated in the transportation of drugs and weapons.

On December 15, under the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear, conducted deadly kinetic strikes on three vessels operated by designated terrorist organizations in international waters. Intelligence confirmed that the ships were transiting known routes… pic.twitter.com/IQfCVvUpau

– United States Southern Command (@Southcom) December 16, 2025

The military said the eight dead were all men, including three on two of the boats and two on the remaining boat. These three attacks bring the number of attacks on drug boats to 25.

According to the Task Force office, this operation is part of the operation Spear of the Southwhose strategic objective is to interrupt the flow of drugs and neutralize terrorist threats that use maritime routes for their illicit activities.

Donald Trump and Nicolas Maduro.

Since the campaign began last September, the US military has sunk more than twenty ships in the waters of the Pacific and Caribbean, killing at least 95 people. The bombings have sparked outrage among experts and members of Congress, who say attacking unarmed civilians violates the rules of war.

The new attack comes in a context where the President of the United States, Donald Trumphas repeatedly assured that it would launch military operations on land in Venezuela to put an end to drug trafficking and the regime of Nicolas Maduro, described as a “narcoterrorist organization”.

Last week, Trump assured that Colombian President Gustavo Petro was “next”, in reference to the pressure strategy he is pursuing against Venezuelan Nicolás Maduro.