By Micah Jonah
January 24, 2026
The United States has confirmed a new military strike on a vessel in international waters in the Eastern Pacific, leaving two people dead and one survivor still unaccounted for, according to U.S. Southern Command.
The strike, carried out on Friday, is the first reported boat attack by the U.S. military in 2026, brings the total number of such strikes since September to at least 36. Human rights groups estimate that at least 125 people have been killed across the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific during this campaign.
U.S. Southern Command said the operation was conducted under the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth by Joint Task Force Southern Spear. The military said the vessel was traveling along routes associated with drug trafficking and claimed it was being operated by groups designated as terrorist organizations.
The command added that the U.S. Coast Guard had been alerted to carry out search and rescue operations for the reported survivor, who has not yet been found.
This latest strike follows a series of controversial operations that have drawn sharp criticism from international observers and human rights organizations. Critics have compared the attacks to extrajudicial killings, especially in cases where survivors were allegedly left in open waters without rescue.
In previous incidents, survivors have sometimes been reported missing after jumping or falling into the sea during or after strikes. In one attack in December, several people reportedly abandoned their boats before a second strike destroyed the vessels, and none were recovered despite search efforts.
Public outrage intensified late last year after media investigations revealed that two survivors of an early strike were later killed in a second follow up attack while clinging to debris from their destroyed boat. Lawmakers in the United States condemned the incident and called for the release of military footage related to the operation, which has not yet been made public.
Only a small number of survivors have been recovered during the campaign. In October, two men rescued after an attack on a submersible vessel were later returned to their home countries without charges after authorities said there was insufficient evidence to hold them.
The U.S. government has consistently stated that those targeted were involved in drug trafficking operations, but it has not publicly presented evidence to support the claims in individual cases.
The latest incident also comes weeks after a major U.S. military operation in Venezuela that led to the removal and arrest of former President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, who are now facing narcotics related charges in the United States. The escalation of U.S. military actions across the region has heightened diplomatic tensions and renewed debates over the legality and humanitarian impact of these operations.
As search efforts continue for the missing survivor, pressure is mounting on U.S. authorities to provide greater transparency about targeting decisions and post strike rescue procedures, amid growing global concern over civilian casualties at sea.
