U.S. military says it killed four in strike on alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean

U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at a forum of The Americas Counter Cartel Coalition in Panama City, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military attacked a boat suspected of being used to smuggle drugs in the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday, killing four people, as the Trump administration continues its monthslong campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America.

The latest attack brings the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military to at least 227 in 68 strikes since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” almost a year ago. As with most of the military’s statements on strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, U.S. Southern Command said it targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes.

The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. A video posted on X showed an image of what appeared to be a moving boat followed by a flash.

Tuesday’s strike came just two days after the U.S. military carried out a strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people accused of trafficking drugs. That action came after a pause of more than two months in the U.S. campaign against alleged smugglers.

The Trump administration is pursuing deals with allied nations to extend its offensive to land across multiple Latin American countries. U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a visit to Panama this month that Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras had agreed to allow the U.S. to carry out joint military operations against criminal groups on their soil. Guatemala denied reaching such a deal. Ecuador launched similar missions with the U.S. in March.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing smugglers.

The Associated Press