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U.S. Navy Strikes Kill Eleven Narco‑Terrorists, Capture Maduro, and Prompt Legal Outcry

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  • A screengrab from a video shared by the U.S. Southern Command on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, appearing to show three U.S. strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean on February 16.
    A screengrab from a video shared by the U.S. Southern Command on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, appearing to show three U.S. strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean on February 16.
    Image: Newsweek
    A screengrab from a video shared by the U.S. Southern Command on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, appearing to show three U.S. strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean on February 16. Source Full size
  • A screengrab from a video shared by the U.S. Southern Command on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, appearing to show three U.S. strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean on February 16.
    A screengrab from a video shared by the U.S. Southern Command on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, appearing to show three U.S. strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean on February 16.
    Image: Newsweek
    A screengrab from a video shared by the U.S. Southern Command on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, appearing to show three U.S. strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean on February 16. Source Full size

Three Vessels Engaged, Eleven Occupants Killed On the night of Feb 17, U.S. Southern Command confirmed that two eastern‑Pacific boats and one Caribbean craft were hit, killing all 11 men aboard, whom the command labeled “narco‑terrorists” [2]. Newsweek reported the same operation on Feb 18, noting eight deaths in the Pacific and three in the Caribbean [1]. No U.S. personnel were injured in the attacks, and the strikes were part of a broader anti‑drug campaign that began in September 2025.

Cumulative Death Toll Exceeds One Hundred Thirty‑Five The campaign has produced at least 135 deaths according to CNN, while Newsweek counts 145 fatalities across more than 40 strikes since early September 2025 [2][1]. Both outlets agree that the United States has conducted over 40 air‑or‑sea attacks on vessels in Latin American waters, marking the deadliest anti‑drug effort of the Trump administration. The discrepancy stems from differing inclusion criteria for earlier, unconfirmed incidents.

Classified Memo Authorizes Lethal Force, Congress Calls It Murder A classified Justice Department opinion released in fall 2025 authorized lethal strikes against a secret list of at least 24 cartel‑linked targets, designating them as enemy combatants [2]. Democratic lawmakers and human‑rights groups have condemned the strikes as unlawful killings of civilians, citing a September “double‑tap” incident where survivors were allegedly executed [1][2]. Legal experts argue the actions violate international law because the United States has not declared war on drug cartels.

First U.S. Service‑Member Fatality and Maduro’s Capture Occur Simultaneously Marine Lance Corporal Chukwuemeka Oforah died on Feb 10 after falling overboard from the USS Iwo Jima, prompting a 72‑hour search involving five Navy ships and ten aircraft [1]. The same carrier later transported captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife to New York for narco‑terrorism charges, an operation that coincided with the Feb 17 strikes [1]. Following Maduro’s apprehension, the tempo of Caribbean and Pacific attacks has noticeably slowed.

Coast Guard Conducts Survivor Searches Amid Lack of Evidence The Coast Guard launched three separate searches for abandoned survivors after strikes on Dec 30, Jan 23, and Feb 9, suspending the first effort on Jan 2 [3]. No public evidence of narcotics or cartel affiliation has been released for any of the targeted vessels [3]. Despite the lethal campaign, U.S. forces report zero injuries among their own personnel, underscoring that all operational risks have fallen on the targeted boats and occupants.

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Timeline

Sep 2 2025 – U.S. Navy missiles strike a vessel off Venezuela suspected of carrying cocaine, then a second missile hits the wreck minutes later, killing two survivors who were clinging to the debris, prompting a congressional briefing on the legality of “double‑tap” attacks [28].

Sep 5 2025 – The Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel issues a 40‑page opinion classifying drug trafficking as a terrorist activity, authorizing lethal force against designated narcotics vessels under a non‑international armed conflict framework [28].

Dec 4 2025 – Operation Southern Spear conducts a kinetic strike on an alleged drug boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing four men identified as “narco‑terrorists” and posting a 21‑second video of the explosion [25].

Dec 10 2025 – Survivors of earlier strikes are handled inconsistently: some are detained and later released, while others are left in the water after a follow‑on strike that killed two “hors de combat” survivors, sparking legal debate over the September 2 double‑tap [24].

Dec 15 2025 – U.S. forces strike three vessels in the Eastern Pacific, killing eight men (three, two, and three on each boat) and labeling the targets as Designated Terrorist Organizations operating on known narco‑trafficking routes [27][23].

Dec 17 2025 – A kinetic strike on an alleged drug‑smuggling vessel kills four crew members; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth orders the attack and the Pentagon reports no U.S. casualties [22][21][26].

Dec 18 2025 – President Trump declares a 94 % drop in drug shipments by sea, while the cumulative death toll from boat strikes surpasses 100 after two vessels are hit, killing five people [21][19].

Dec 22 2025 – A low‑profile vessel in the Eastern Pacific is struck, killing one person; Southern Command cites “known narco‑trafficking routes” but provides no public evidence of drugs [30].

Dec 23 2025 – Another Eastern Pacific strike kills one individual; video shows the boat drifting after a second salvo ignites a fire, adding to the tally of at least 105 deaths in 29 known strikes [18].

Dec 29 2025 – Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducts a lethal kinetic strike on a Designated Terrorist Organization vessel, killing two men; the operation is directed by “SecWar” Pete Hegseth and no U.S. personnel are harmed [29][15][16].

Dec 31 2025 – Two consecutive strikes on alleged drug boats kill five people (three on the first vessel, two on the second); the U.S. announces the attacks as part of Operation Southern Spear and alerts the Coast Guard for search‑and‑rescue [13][14].

Jan 2 2026 – Colombian President Gustavo Petro says survivors jumped into the Pacific to escape a U.S. strike that killed five, posting a map of the strike zone near Mexico‑Guatemala and calling the attacks “murders” [13].

Jan 3 2026 – The U.S. Coast Guard suspends a 65‑hour search for people in the water after a convoy strike that killed three aboard one boat, citing exhausted resources and low probability of survival [12].

Early Jan 2026 – U.S. forces capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife aboard the USS Iwo Jima, transporting them to New York for narco‑terrorism charges, a high‑profile move that coincides with a slowdown in boat‑strike tempo [1][6].

Jan 23 2026 – The first lethal strike since the Maduro raid hits a suspected drug‑trafficking boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing two occupants and leaving one survivor; Southern Command notifies the Coast Guard to begin a rescue mission [9][10][11].

Feb 5 2026 – New SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan orders a kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations, killing two people; this is the second documented lethal boat attack of the year [5].

Feb 6 2026 – A second Eastern Pacific strike kills two more individuals, raising the campaign death toll to 128; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tweets that “some top cartel drug‑traffickers… have decided to cease all narcotics operations INDEFINITELY” [1][8].

Feb 14 2026 – The Pentagon reports 124 people killed in 40 boat strikes since September, noting that survivors have been detained then released, while the Coast Guard launches additional searches for missing crew members [7].

Feb 17 2026 – Three vessels (two Pacific, one Caribbean) are hit, killing all 11 occupants and pushing the cumulative campaign death toll to at least 135; a classified legal memo from fall 2025 had authorized lethal force against a secret list of cartels [4].

Feb 18 2026 – Two eastern Pacific attacks and one Caribbean strike kill 11, bringing total fatalities to 145; Marine Lance Corporal Chukwuemeka Oforah dies after falling overboard from the USS Iwo Jima, prompting a 72‑hour search involving five ships and ten aircraft [6].

Feb 19 2026 – Relatives of two Trinidadian men killed in the October 2025 strike file a lawsuit accusing the U.S. of extrajudicial killings and demanding release of operational files, adding a legal challenge to the ongoing campaign [5][1].

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