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Latest U.S. Lethal Drone Strikes Raise Drug‑War Death Toll to At Least 135

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Three vessels hit, eleven occupants killed in Pacific and Caribbean The U.S. Southern Command reported that on Monday night, February 17, drones struck three suspected drug‑trafficking boats—two in the eastern Pacific and one in the Caribbean—killing all 11 people aboard [1]. Intelligence indicated the vessels were on established narco routes, and no U.S. personnel were injured or engaged in the attacks [1]. The operation follows a Friday strike in the Caribbean that killed three additional occupants, bringing the campaign’s cumulative fatalities to at least 135 [1].

Campaign totals now exceed earlier reports of 124 deaths February 14 report documented 124 people killed across 40 strikes since the first attack on September 2, describing the effort as an “armed conflict” against cartels [2]. The latest strike adds 11 victims, reconciling the two accounts at a minimum of 135 deaths, though the earlier figure did not include the most recent operation [1][2]. Both sources note that the U.S. has not released public evidence linking the targeted boats to specific narcotics shipments or cartel leadership.

Legal framework rests on classified Trump‑era memo labeling traffickers as combatants The administration cites a classified Justice Department opinion from the Trump administration that authorizes lethal force against a secret list of at least two dozen cartels, treating them as enemy combatants [1]. This justification bypasses traditional criminal prosecution and has been challenged by Democratic lawmakers and human‑rights groups, who argue the strikes constitute unlawful killings of civilians [1][2]. Critics emphasize that the United States has not declared war on drug cartels, raising questions about the legal basis for the campaign.

Coast Guard continues non‑lethal interdictions and survivor searches Prior to September, drug interdiction was handled by law‑enforcement and Coast Guard assets, which still seize narcotics and board vessels without lethal force [1]. After earlier strikes, the Coast Guard launched three separate searches for abandoned survivors, suspending and restarting efforts in late December, January, and February [2]. Some strike survivors were briefly detained by the Navy before release, while at least one remains missing, underscoring ongoing humanitarian concerns despite the classified nature of the operations [2].

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Timeline

Sep 2 2025 – The U.S. launches its first missile strike of Operation Southern Spear on a suspected drug‑trafficking vessel in the southern Caribbean, killing nine crew members and splitting the boat in half[15].

Sep 2 2025 – A “double‑tap” follow‑up strike hits the same wreck 41 minutes later, killing two survivors who are clinging to the capsized hull; the strike is later attributed to a verbal order from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which he later denies[15][23].

Oct 14 2025 – A Southern Spear strike off Venezuela hits a boat carrying six men returning to Trinidad and Tobago, killing all six, including Chad Joseph and Rishi Samaroo, who families later say had no cartel ties[2][6].

Oct 2025 – Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley is promoted to commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, reflecting administration confidence after the September strikes[21].

Dec 3 2025 – President Trump tells reporters the administration will “certainly” release video of the September 2 follow‑up strike after criticism that survivors were targeted[19].

Dec 4 2025 – U.S. Southern Command conducts a kinetic strike in the Eastern Pacific, killing four men it labels “narco‑terrorists” as part of Operation Southern Spear[18].

Dec 5 2025 – Admiral Bradley testifies that the two men killed in the September follow‑up could not radio for help because they lacked communications equipment, contradicting earlier claims they were calling for assistance[15].

Dec 5 2025 – A classified briefing shows Congress a video of the September 2 second strike, depicting the two shirtless survivors being hit by missiles[17].

Dec 6 2025 – Defense Secretary Hegseth defends the campaign at the Reagan National Defense Forum, saying “every trafficker killed is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization” and that the strikes are lawful[29].

Dec 7 2025 – Senator Tom Cotton states he would not object to releasing the September 2 follow‑up video, arguing the survivors remained a threat[13].

Dec 9 2025 – A defense‑spending bill ties 25 % of Hegseth’s travel budget to the provision of unedited video of the September strikes to House and Senate armed‑services committees[5].

Dec 10 2025 – Representative Shri Thanedar files seven articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, citing murder, conspiracy to murder, and unlawful handling of classified information related to the boat strikes[12].

Dec 10 2025 – U.S. forces seize an oil tanker off Venezuela, which the Venezuelan foreign minister calls “international piracy,” intensifying pressure on Maduro’s regime[4].

Dec 16 2025 – The White House affirms that Vice Admiral Bradley acted within his authority and U.S. law when ordering the September 2 second strike, while Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt cites a verbal order from Hegseth as the legal basis[22].

Dec 22 2025 – A Southern Spear strike on a low‑profile vessel in the Eastern Pacific kills one person; the administration frames the action as part of pressure on President Nicolás Maduro[28].

Dec 29 2025 – Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducts a lethal kinetic strike on an alleged drug vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing two men; the operation is directed by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth[27].

Dec 31 2025 – Jan 1 2026 – Over two days U.S. forces strike five alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, killing eight people and bringing the campaign total to at least 115 deaths[9].

Jan 1 2026 – The U.S. military reports a strike on two drug‑carrying boats that kills five people, following a convoy attack the previous day[3].

Jan 3 2026 – The U.S. Coast Guard launches a 65‑hour search for survivors after a strike leaves people in the water 400 mi southwest of the Mexico‑Guatemala border; officials say 35 known strikes have caused over 115 deaths[8].

Jan 23 2026 – Southern Command orders a kinetic strike on a narco‑vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing two suspected traffickers and leaving one survivor; the Coast Guard begins a rescue effort and the Pentagon releases explosion footage[7].

Early Jan 2026 – U.S. forces capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a move that sharply reduces the tempo of Southern Spear strikes after a surge of 36 attacks in the preceding four months[1].

Jan 27 2026 – Relatives of Chad Joseph and Rishi Samaroo file a federal lawsuit in Boston invoking the Death on the High Seas Act and the Alien Tort Statute, alleging unlawful killings in the Oct 14, 2025 strike[2][6].

Feb 6 2026 – Southern Command strikes an alleged drug boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing two; the operation draws renewed legal and political backlash, with families of prior victims suing and bipartisan critics questioning the campaign’s compliance with international law[1].

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