U.S. Coast Guard Hunts for Survivors After Deadly Strike on Suspected Drug Boats

Screenshot from a video posted by U.S. Southern Command on Dec. 31, 2025.

The U.S. Coast Guard is currently searching for eight “narco-terrorist” survivors following deadly U.S. military strikes on suspected drug vessels on December 30 and December 31.

According to X posts by the U.S. Southern Command, “five narco-terrorists” were killed in a “lethal kinetic strike on two vessels” on December 31, and several others were killed in a three-vessel strike on December 30, though survivors jumped overboard.

“On Dec. 30, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted kinetic strikes against three narco-trafficking vessels traveling as a convoy,” the Southern Command’s Dec. 30 post on X reads. “These vessels were operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters. Intelligence confirmed the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes and had transferred narcotics between the three vessels prior to the strikes. Three narco-terrorists aboard the first vessel were killed in the first engagement. The remaining narco-terrorists abandoned the other two vessels, jumping overboard and distancing themselves before follow-on engagements sank their respective vessels. Following the engagements, USSOUTHCOM immediately notified @USCG to activate the Search and Rescue system.  @DeptofWar #OpSouthernSpear.”

A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to Reuters, confirmed eight people abandoned their vessels and were being looked for in the Pacific Ocean.

The end-of-the-year strikes are part of President Donald Trump’s military campaign, targeting boats accused of smuggling drugs through both the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. There have now been more than 30 strikes and 110 deaths as a result of these strikes on suspected drug boats since early September.

In October, two survivors from U.S. strikes were repatriated to their home countries, Colombia and Ecuador. Trump took to social media to celebrate.

“It was my great honor to destroy a very large DRUG-CARRYING SUBMARINE that was navigating towards the United States on a well known narco trafficking transit route,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “U.S. intelligence confirmed this vessel was loaded up with mostly Fentanyl, and other illegal narcotics. There were four known narcoterrorists on board the vessel. Two of the terrorists were killed. At least 25,000 Americans would die if I allowed the submarine to come ashore. The two surviving terrorists are being returned to their countries of origin, Ecuador and Colombia, for detention and persecution. No U.S. Forces were harmed in the strike. Under my watch, the United States of America will not tolerate narcoterrorists trafficking illegal drugs, by land or sea. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”