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The U.S. military on Saturday carried out a lethal strike on a vessel in the Caribbean that it said was involved in drug trafficking, killing four alleged “narco-terrorists,” according to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
“On September 19, under the direction of #SOUTHCOM, Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere executed a lethal, kinetic strike on a go-fast vessel operating along established narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean,” SOUTHCOM said in a statement.
“Confirmed intelligence revealed the vessel’s active involvement in narco-trafficking,” the statement continued.
SOUTHCOM said four alleged “narco-terrorists” were killed during the operation.
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Video released by U.S. Southern Command shows a suspected narco-trafficking vessel erupting into a fireball during a U.S. military strike in the Caribbean. (U.S. Southern Command)
Saturday’s strike comes amid a monthslong campaign launched by the Trump administration aimed at dismantling cartel-linked trafficking networks.
SOUTHCOM has conducted dozens of strikes in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean targeting vessels it says are connected to “narco-terrorists.”
On Sept. 9, the military said it carried out a strike on a vessel involved in narco-trafficking that resulted in three deaths.
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U.S. Southern Command said the go-fast vessel was operating along established narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean before the military carried out a lethal strike. (U.S. Southern Command)
Following Saturday’s strike, the Trump administration’s campaign targeting suspected cartel vessels has resulted in at least 231 deaths tied to at least 69 reported strikes over roughly one year.
Video of Saturday’s operation released by SOUTHCOM shows a vessel moving through the water before erupting into a massive fireball.
In recent weeks, SOUTHCOM has also released several videos showing military personnel intercepting and boarding vessels allegedly involved in narco-trafficking before removing their crews and sinking the boats.
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A suspected narco-trafficking vessel burns following a lethal U.S. military strike in the Caribbean on Sept. 19. (U.S. Southern Command)
Many of the operations recently highlighted by SOUTHCOM have targeted vessels allegedly tied to Los Choneros, which the military has described as a violent “narco-terrorist” organization.