JTF Southern Spear killed 3 aboard suspected narcotics vessel in Caribbean; 7th strike, ~18 campaign deaths
On October 17, 2025, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) conducted a military strike in the Caribbean Sea targeting a vessel that the U.S. claimed was affiliated with the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), Colombia's largest remaining guerrilla organization. The strike killed three people. The ELN publicly denied that the targeted vessel was engaged in drug-boat trafficking in international waters. No survivors were reported.