Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere
Joint Task Force Southern Spear is a U.S. military counternarcotics task force operating in the eastern Pacific Ocean under U.S. Southern Command. It conducts maritime interdiction operations targeting drug trafficking vessels, primarily those associated with Colombian and other Latin American cartels. Beginning in late 2025, the task force carried out dozens of lethal strikes against suspected trafficking vessels, killing scores of people and prompting legal challenges over the use of military force.
Also known as Joint Task Force Southern Spear
2026 Events (25)
U.S. Southern Command destroyed Ecuadorian vessel over unproven Los Choneros ties, fifth such strike in under two weeks
On September 7, 2026, U.S. Southern Command's Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere intercepted and sank an Ecuadorian vessel in international waters of the eastern Pacific, alleging without independently disclosed evidence that it was a "floating refueling station" supporting Los Choneros, a group the U.S. has designated a foreign terrorist organization. Unlike most strikes in SOUTHCOM's broader anti-cartel campaign, the vessel's occupants were removed before it was sunk and transferred to Ecuadorian authorities rather than killed. It was the fifth such vessel SOUTHCOM has destroyed under this pattern since August 28, 2026, in under two weeks.
U.S. Southern Command destroyed multi-vessel Ecuadorian refueling station over unproven Los Choneros ties, fourth such strike in eight days
On September 5, 2026, U.S. Southern Command's Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere interdicted and destroyed a multi-vessel floating refueling station -- a main vessel and its attached support boats -- in international waters of the eastern Pacific, again alleging without independently disclosed evidence that it supported Los Choneros, a group the U.S. has designated a foreign terrorist organization. U.S. forces removed the main vessel's occupants and transferred them to Ecuadorian authorities before sinking it and the support vessels. It was the fourth of five such interdictions SOUTHCOM carried out under this capture-and-transfer pattern between August 28 and September 7, 2026, and the only one to destroy more than one vessel in a single operation.
U.S. Southern Command destroyed Ecuadorian vessel over unproven Los Choneros ties, second such strike in five days
On September 2, 2026, U.S. Southern Command's Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere intercepted and sank a second Ecuadorian vessel in international waters of the eastern Pacific, five days after a first, again alleging without independently disclosed evidence that it was a "floating refueling station" supporting Los Choneros, a group the U.S. has designated a foreign terrorist organization. U.S. forces removed the vessel's occupants and transferred them to Ecuadorian authorities before sinking it. It was the second of five such vessels SOUTHCOM destroyed under this capture-and-transfer pattern between August 28 and September 7, 2026.
U.S. Southern Command destroyed Ecuadorian vessel over unproven Los Choneros ties, first strike in a five-strike capture-and-transfer pattern
On August 28, 2026, U.S. Southern Command's Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere intercepted and sank an Ecuadorian vessel in international waters of the eastern Pacific, alleging without independently disclosed evidence that it was a "floating refueling station" supporting Los Choneros, a group the U.S. has designated a foreign terrorist organization. Marines and sailors launched from USS San Antonio removed the vessel's occupants and transferred them to Ecuadorian authorities before sinking it. It was the first of five vessels SOUTHCOM destroyed under this capture-and-transfer pattern between August 28 and September 7, 2026.
JTF Western Hemisphere killed 4 aboard suspected narcotics vessel in Caribbean Sea; 68th strike, ~227 campaign deaths
On August 25, 2026, Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere — the U.S. Southern Command unit that replaced Joint Task Force Southern Spear earlier that month — carried out its 68th lethal strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean Sea, killing four people without charge, trial, or any attempt at interdiction. The strike, ordered under SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, brought the campaign's confirmed death toll to at least 227 people across 68 strikes since September 2025.
JTF Western Hemisphere killed 2 aboard suspected narcotics vessel in eastern Pacific; 67th strike, ~223 campaign deaths
On August 23, 2026, Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere — the U.S. Southern Command unit that replaced Joint Task Force Southern Spear earlier that month — carried out its 67th lethal strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two people without charge, trial, or any attempt at interdiction. It was the first publicly announced strike under the new task force name and ended a 63-day pause in the campaign, the longest interruption since strikes began in September 2025. The strike brought the campaign's reported death toll to approximately 223 people across 67 strikes.
JTF Southern Spear killed 2 aboard suspected narcotics vessel in Caribbean Sea; ~66th strike, ~213 campaign deaths
On June 21, 2026, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted its approximately 66th lethal strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean Sea, killing 2 men and rescuing 6 others. U.S. Southern Command issued an official "Lethal Kinetic Strike" press release confirming the action on June 22. The strike brought the campaign's reported death toll to approximately 213 people since Operation Southern Spear launched in September 2025, all conducted without formal congressional war authorization.
JTF Southern Spear killed 3 aboard suspected narcotics vessel in eastern Pacific; 65th strike, ~211 campaign deaths
On June 18, 2026, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted its 65th lethal strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three men. SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan confirmed the strike and released video footage of the targeted vessel. The strike brought the campaign's reported death toll to approximately 211 people since Operation Southern Spear launched in September 2025, all killed without formal congressional war authorization.
JTF Southern Spear killed 1 aboard suspected narcotics vessel in Eastern Pacific; 64th strike, ~204 campaign deaths
On June 17, 2026, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted its 64th lethal strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, killing one person and leaving two survivors. The U.S. Coast Guard launched search and rescue operations but suspended them after 20 hours and a 46-mile search area, leaving the survivors' fate unknown. The strike was confirmed by U.S. Southern Command; the campaign had killed at least 203 people across 63 prior strikes since September 2025, all without formal congressional war authorization.
JTF Southern Spear killed 3 aboard suspected narcotics vessel in eastern Pacific; 61st strike, ~202 campaign deaths
On May 29, 2026, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on an alleged drug-trafficking vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three people. The Trump administration released no public evidence that the victims were engaged in drug trafficking, provided no names or nationalities, and offered no legal proceedings. The strike was the 61st in Operation Southern Spear, bringing the campaign's total to approximately 202 deaths since September 2025.
JTF Southern Spear killed two aboard suspected narcotics vessel in eastern Pacific; 60th strike, ~196 campaign deaths
On May 27, 2026, U.S. Southern Command said Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a "lethal kinetic strike" on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean it described as operated by a designated terrorist organization, killing two men. It was the 60th strike of Operation Southern Spear and the second in two days, following a May 26 strike that killed one. The Pentagon offered no evidence the vessel carried drugs, and Congress has not authorized hostilities against Latin American drug-trafficking organizations.
JTF Southern Spear killed 3 aboard suspected narcotics vessel in Eastern Pacific; 57th strike, ~194 campaign deaths
On May 5, 2026, JTF Southern Spear conducted a lethal strike against an alleged narcotics vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three men. U.S. Southern Command provided no evidence the vessel carried drugs, and no arrest, charge, or judicial process preceded the killings.
JTF Southern Spear killed 2 aboard suspected narcotics vessel in Caribbean; ~57th strike, ~191 campaign deaths
On May 4, 2026, Joint Task Force Southern Spear struck a vessel in the Caribbean Sea, killing two people. The strike was carried out under Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's Operation Southern Spear mandate with no prior judicial process or public evidence regarding the victims.
JTF Southern Spear killed 3 aboard suspected narcotics vessel in eastern Pacific; ~56th strike, ~189 campaign deaths
On May 4, 2026, Joint Task Force Southern Spear struck a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three people. The strike was carried out under Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's Operation Southern Spear mandate at the direction of SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, with no prior judicial process or public evidence regarding the victims.
JTF Southern Spear killed three aboard suspected narcotics vessel in Caribbean; 53rd strike, ~181 campaign deaths
On Sunday, April 19, 2026, U.S. Southern Command's Joint Task Force Southern Spear, at the direction of SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel it said was operated by "Designated Terrorist Organizations" transiting a known narco-trafficking route in the Caribbean Sea, killing three men. The strike — the fifth in eight days and the campaign's roughly 53rd — brought Operation Southern Spear's announced death toll to at least 181 people since September 2025. As with prior strikes, the government released video but no evidence the vessel carried drugs and did not identify those killed, who received no interdiction or judicial process.
JTF Southern Spear killed five across two suspected narcotics vessels in eastern Pacific; 48th-49th strikes, ~168 campaign deaths
On Saturday, April 11, 2026, U.S. Southern Command's Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out two lethal kinetic strikes on two vessels it described as drug-trafficking boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing five men and leaving one survivor of the first strike. SOUTHCOM said it notified the U.S. Coast Guard to launch a search-and-rescue effort for the survivor. The same-day double strike — reported as the campaign's 48th and 49th — brought Operation Southern Spear's cumulative reported death toll to at least 168, and as in prior strikes the military provided no evidence that the vessels were carrying drugs.
JTF Southern Spear killed 4 aboard suspected narcotics vessel in Caribbean Sea; 47th strike, ~163 campaign deaths
On March 25, 2026, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted its 47th lethal kinetic strike on an alleged drug-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean Sea, killing four people. SOUTHCOM identified the vessel as engaged in narco-trafficking but provided no public evidence against those killed and no identification of the victims. The strike drew international condemnation — UN special rapporteur Ben Saul had 13 days earlier called the campaign "serial extrajudicial killings" with "no justification under international law."
JTF Southern Spear killed six aboard suspected narcotics vessel in eastern Pacific; 45th strike, ~157 campaign deaths
On Sunday, March 8, 2026, U.S. Southern Command announced a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean it described as "operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations," killing six men. SOUTHCOM said the strike was ordered by its commander, Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan, and carried out by Joint Task Force Southern Spear against a boat allegedly transiting known narco-trafficking routes. It was the campaign's 45th announced strike, bringing Operation Southern Spear's reported cumulative death toll to roughly 156-157 people, and as in every prior strike the Pentagon provided no public evidence the vessel carried narcotics and did not identify those killed.
JTF Southern Spear killed three aboard suspected narcotics vessel in Caribbean; 44th strike, ~151 campaign deaths
On Feb. 23, 2026, U.S. Southern Command announced that Joint Task Force Southern Spear, at the direction of SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, conducted a "lethal kinetic strike" on a vessel in the Caribbean it alleged was operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations and transiting known narco-trafficking routes, killing three men. As in prior strikes in the Operation Southern Spear campaign, the Pentagon presented no public evidence the vessel carried narcotics, did not identify those killed, and afforded no opportunity for interdiction, arrest, or judicial process. It was the last announced strike before a late-February pause; SOUTHCOM's next disclosed strike came on March 8, 2026.
JTF Southern Spear killed three aboard suspected narcotics vessel in eastern Pacific; 43rd strike, ~148 campaign deaths
On Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, U.S. Southern Command announced a "lethal kinetic strike" on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean it described as "operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations," killing three men. SOUTHCOM said the strike was carried out at the direction of its commander, Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan, by Joint Task Force Southern Spear against a boat allegedly transiting known narco-trafficking routes. Independent trackers count it as the campaign's 43rd announced strike; as in every prior strike, the Pentagon provided no public evidence the vessel carried narcotics, made no attempt to interdict or arrest, and did not identify those killed.
JTF Southern Spear killed eleven across three suspected narcotics vessels in Pacific and Caribbean; 40th-42nd strikes, ~145 campaign deaths
Late on Feb. 16, 2026, at the direction of U.S. Southern Command commander Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out three near-simultaneous "lethal kinetic strikes" on three vessels SOUTHCOM alleged were trafficking drugs along known routes, killing eleven men — four on each of two boats in the eastern Pacific and three on a third in the Caribbean. SOUTHCOM presented no evidence and made no attempt at interdiction, arrest, or judicial process, and no U.S. forces were harmed. It was the deadliest single day in the Operation Southern Spear boat-strike campaign to that point.
JTF Southern Spear killed three aboard suspected narcotics vessel in Caribbean; 39th strike, ~134 campaign deaths
On Feb. 13, 2026, at the direction of U.S. Southern Command commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a "lethal kinetic strike" on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea that SOUTHCOM alleged — without presenting evidence and without interdiction, arrest, or judicial process — was operated by a designated terrorist organization. Three men were killed and no U.S. forces were harmed. The strike is part of the open-ended Operation Southern Spear campaign of lethal strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats.
JTF Southern Spear killed two aboard suspected narcotics vessel in eastern Pacific; 38th strike, ~131 campaign deaths
On Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, U.S. Southern Command announced a "lethal kinetic strike" on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean it described as "operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations" and transiting known narco-trafficking routes, killing two of the three people aboard. SOUTHCOM said the strike was carried out at the direction of its commander, Gen. Francis L. Donovan, by Joint Task Force Southern Spear, and that it notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate search-and-rescue for the lone survivor. As in every prior strike in the campaign, the Pentagon presented no public evidence the vessel carried narcotics, made no attempt to interdict or arrest, and did not identify those killed.
JTF Southern Spear killed two aboard suspected narcotics vessel in eastern Pacific; 37th strike, ~129 campaign deaths
On Feb. 5, 2026, at the direction of U.S. Southern Command commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a "lethal kinetic strike" on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean that SOUTHCOM alleged — without presenting evidence and without interdiction, arrest, or judicial process — was operated by a designated terrorist organization. Two people were killed and no U.S. forces were harmed. The strike is part of the open-ended Operation Southern Spear campaign of lethal strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats.
JTF Southern Spear killed 2 aboard suspected narcotics vessel in eastern Pacific; 36th strike, ~117 campaign deaths
On January 23, 2026, Joint Task Force Southern Spear, operating at the direction of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, conducted a lethal strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people and leaving one survivor. The strike was characterized by SOUTHCOM as targeting "Designated Terrorist Organizations" engaged in narco-trafficking, yet no public evidence was provided identifying the victims or their alleged activities. This was the 36th strike in the Southern Spear campaign since September 2025, resuming after a three-week gap following the January 3 capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
2025 Events (17)
JTF Southern Spear killed five across two suspected narcotics vessels; 34th-35th strikes, ~115 campaign deaths
On Dec. 31, 2025, Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out successive "lethal kinetic strikes" on two vessels U.S. Southern Command alleged were operated by designated terrorist organizations along known narco-trafficking routes, killing five people — three aboard the first vessel and two aboard the second. SOUTHCOM presented no evidence, identified no one, filed no charges, and reported no attempt at interdiction or arrest. These were the 34th and 35th strikes of Operation Southern Spear and are the earliest strikes in this archive's record of the campaign.
JTF Southern Spear struck convoy in eastern Pacific, killing three and abandoning survivors; 31st-33rd strikes, ~110 campaign deaths
On Dec. 30, 2025, at the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted "lethal kinetic strikes" on a three-vessel convoy in the eastern Pacific that U.S. Southern Command described as operated by designated terrorist organizations along narco-trafficking routes, killing three people aboard the first boat. Men aboard the other two vessels jumped overboard before follow-on strikes sank the remaining boats; SOUTHCOM said it notified the Coast Guard for search and rescue, but the search began only after a roughly 45-hour delay and was suspended on Jan. 3 with no survivors found. The command identified no organization, made no evidence public, charged no one, and attempted no interdiction or arrest in what it counted as the 31st through 33rd strikes of a campaign that had by then killed at least 110 people.
JTF Southern Spear killed two aboard suspected narcotics vessel in eastern Pacific; 30th strike, ~107 campaign deaths
On Dec. 29, 2025, at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon's Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal "kinetic strike" on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people. U.S. Southern Command claimed the boat was operated by designated terrorist organizations and engaged in narco-trafficking but provided no evidence to support the claim. It was the 30th known boat strike in the campaign since Sept. 2, bringing the reported death toll to at least 107.
JTF Southern Spear killed one aboard suspected narcotics vessel in eastern Pacific; 29th strike, ~105 campaign deaths
On Dec. 22, 2025, at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out a "lethal kinetic strike" on a low-profile semi-submersible vessel transiting international waters in the eastern Pacific, killing one person, U.S. Southern Command announced. SOUTHCOM said the vessel was operated by an unnamed designated terrorist organization along a known narco-trafficking route but released no evidence of drugs aboard or of an imminent threat, and reported no attempt at interdiction or arrest. It was the 29th strike of Operation Southern Spear, which had killed 105 people since early September.
JTF Southern Spear killed five across two suspected narcotics vessels in eastern Pacific; 27th-28th strikes, ~104 campaign deaths
On December 18, 2025, Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out two successive lethal strikes on vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean — the 27th and 28th of the campaign — killing five people in total, according to U.S. Southern Command. The command asserted the boats were operated by designated terrorist organizations on known narco-trafficking routes but provided no charges, evidence, or attempt at interdiction or arrest. The strikes pushed the campaign's reported cumulative death toll past 100.
JTF Southern Spear killed four aboard suspected narcotics vessel in eastern Pacific; 26th strike, ~99 campaign deaths
On December 17, 2025, at the direction of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing four people. U.S. Southern Command described the boat as operated by a designated terrorist organization along a known narco-trafficking route, but provided no charges, judicial process, or independent evidence. The same day, Senate war-powers resolutions intended to constrain the campaign failed to reach the floor.
JTF Southern Spear killed eight across three suspected narcotics vessels in eastern Pacific; 23rd-25th strikes, ~95 campaign deaths
On December 15, 2025, at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out lethal strikes on three vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean — the 23rd strike of Operation Southern Spear — killing eight people. U.S. Southern Command asserted the boats belonged to designated terrorist organizations transiting known narco-trafficking routes but filed no charges, released no evidence, identified no individuals, and reported no attempt at interdiction or arrest. Lawmakers from both parties questioned the legality of the strikes as the campaign's reported death toll reached approximately 95.
JTF Southern Spear killed four aboard suspected narcotics vessel in eastern Pacific; 22nd strike, ~87 campaign deaths
On December 4, 2025, U.S. Southern Command's Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel in international waters in the eastern Pacific, killing four people on board. The Department of Defense claimed the boat was operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization and was carrying narcotics, but released no supporting evidence. The strike was one of roughly 23 carried out since early September 2025, in which approximately 87 people had been killed without arrest, charge, or any judicial process.
JTF Southern Spear killed 3 aboard suspected narcotics vessel in eastern Pacific; 21st strike, ~80 campaign deaths
On November 15, 2025, U.S. Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing 3 people. U.S. Southern Command announced the strike the following day, identifying the vessel as operated by a "Designated Terrorist Organization" involved in "illicit narcotics smuggling" but offering no evidence, trial, or judicial process. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the strike on President Trump's orders; it was the 21st confirmed strike of the campaign.
Defense Secretary Hegseth formally named Operation Southern Spear, launching large-scale military campaign without congressional authorization
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth formally announced "Operation Southern Spear" on November 13, 2025, after approximately 20 U.S. strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific had killed roughly 80 people without congressional authorization. The announcement coincided with deployment orders for the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, bringing roughly 12,000 U.S. sailors and Marines to the region in what officials described as the largest U.S. military buildup in Latin America in generations. Trump publicly stated he would not seek a war declaration from Congress.
JTF Southern Spear killed 4 aboard suspected narcotics vessel in Caribbean; 20th strike, ~79 campaign deaths
On November 10, 2025, U.S. forces conducted the 20th strike of what would become Operation Southern Spear, killing four people with "no survivors" in the Caribbean Sea. Three days later, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth formally named and announced the campaign, citing this strike as the milestone. A Pentagon spokesperson confirmed 79 people killed across 20 strikes; no evidence of drug trafficking was publicly disclosed and Congress had not authorized the operation.
JTF Southern Spear killed 6 aboard suspected narcotics vessel in eastern Pacific; 19th strike, ~73 campaign deaths
U.S. forces struck two vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean on November 9, 2025, killing six people — three aboard each vessel. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the strikes the following day, claiming the boats were associated with narcotics smuggling but providing no evidence. The operation was the 19th strike in the Southern Spear campaign, bringing reported total deaths to approximately 73.
JTF Southern Spear killed 3 aboard suspected narcotics vessel in Caribbean Sea; 18th strike, ~69 campaign deaths
U.S. forces struck a vessel in the Caribbean Sea on November 6, 2025, killing three people. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the strike that evening on X, stating it was conducted "at the direction of" President Trump and targeted a "vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization," but provided no public evidence of drug trafficking. The operation was the 18th strike of the Southern Spear campaign, bringing reported total deaths to approximately 69.
JTF Southern Spear killed 2 aboard suspected narcotics vessel in eastern Pacific; 17th strike, ~67 campaign deaths
U.S. military forces struck a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean on November 4, 2025, killing two people aboard. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the strike on social media, alleging the vessel was traveling a known narcotics route; no evidence was provided. The strike was the 17th of the Southern Spear campaign, bringing the documented campaign death toll to at least 67.
JTF Southern Spear killed 3 aboard suspected narcotics vessel in Caribbean; 15th strike, ~50 campaign deaths
On November 1, 2025, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal strike against an alleged drug-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean Sea, killing three crew members. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced the strike via social media, claiming the vessel was operated by a "Designated Terrorist Organization" involved in narcotics smuggling; no evidence was presented and no judicial process preceded the killings.
JTF Southern Spear killed 3 aboard suspected narcotics vessel in Caribbean; 16th strike, ~62 campaign deaths
U.S. military forces killed three people aboard a vessel in the Caribbean Sea on November 1, 2025, in the 16th strike of the Southern Spear campaign. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the strike on X, claiming the vessel was "known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling," but no public evidence was presented. The strike brought documented campaign deaths to approximately 62, and the campaign continued without formal congressional authorization or judicial process.
JTF Southern Spear killed 3 aboard suspected narcotics vessel in Caribbean Sea; 3rd strike, ~17 campaign deaths
On September 19, 2025, U.S. forces struck an alleged drug-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean Sea in a joint operation with the Dominican Republic, killing three men. President Trump announced the strike on social media but provided no location, victims' identities, or evidence of trafficking. The Dominican Republic independently disclosed that the vessel was approximately 80 nautical miles south of Beata Island and later recovered 1,000 kilograms of cocaine from the wreck.