The United States military has resumed its controversial campaign of attacking suspected drug-smuggling vessels near Latin America, carrying out its first publicly announced boat strike in more than two months.

U.S. Southern Command announced Monday, August 24, that American forces struck a vessel travelling through the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people aboard.

The actual strike took place on Sunday.

According to U.S. Southern Command, intelligence indicated that the vessel was actively involved in drug trafficking and was travelling along established narcotics-smuggling routes.

The military described the two people killed as “narco-terrorists,” but did not publicly identify them or specify which criminal organization they were allegedly connected to.

First Boat Strike in More Than Two Months

The attack marks the first publicly announced U.S. strike against a suspected drug-trafficking vessel since June.

But it is part of a much larger military campaign.

The Trump administration began ordering strikes against suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific in September 2025, arguing that traditional law-enforcement efforts were not doing enough to stop powerful cartels.

Since then, U.S. forces have carried out dozens of attacks.

A detailed tally by Just Security counts 67 strikes and 223 people killed or presumed dead as of August 24.

The operations have targeted speedboats, semi-submersible vessels and other watercraft the U.S. says were being used to transport narcotics.

The Strikes Have Become Highly Controversial

The campaign has generated significant criticism from human-rights organizations and legal experts.

Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and independent United Nations experts have argued that the attacks may constitute unlawful extrajudicial killings.

Critics question whether suspected drug traffickers who do not pose an immediate threat can legally be targeted and killed by military force rather than arrested and prosecuted.

The Trump administration has defended the campaign by arguing that the United States is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels and organizations it has designated as terrorist groups.

The Pentagon has also faced criticism for providing limited public evidence demonstrating that individual vessels were actually transporting narcotics before they were destroyed.

Pentagon Watchdog Is Reviewing the Campaign

The controversy has also reached the Pentagon itself.

The Department of Defense inspector general announced earlier this year that it would evaluate whether the military followed its established targeting procedures when carrying out the strikes.

That review focuses on the military’s targeting process rather than making a broader determination about whether the campaign itself is legal.

Another major question is whether the strikes are actually reducing the flow of drugs.

Critics point out that fentanyl — responsible for many U.S. overdose deaths — typically enters the United States over land from Mexico rather than aboard boats travelling through the Caribbean or eastern Pacific.

U.S. Anti-Cartel Campaign Could Expand on Land

The boat strikes may only be one part of a much larger shift in America’s approach to fighting Latin American criminal organizations.

The Trump administration has been pursuing deeper military cooperation with governments throughout the region and has discussed expanding operations against criminal groups on land.

Ecuador and the United States launched joint operations against designated terrorist organizations earlier this year.

U.S. officials have also discussed expanded cooperation with Colombia, Honduras and Guatemala, although Guatemala has disputed U.S. claims that it agreed to allow joint military operations against criminal organizations inside the country.

That makes Sunday’s strike important beyond the deaths of the two people aboard the vessel.

After more than two months without a publicly announced boat attack, the United States has made clear that its controversial military campaign against suspected drug trafficking in waters surrounding Latin America is not over.

And with Washington now looking to deepen anti-cartel operations throughout the region, the bigger story may be where the campaign goes next.