On December 29, 2025, the United States military carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel allegedly affiliated with “Designated Terrorist Organizations,” reportedly killing two men described as “narco-terrorists” in international waters in the Eastern Pacific.

This strike was announced by U.S. Southern Command @Southcom on Twitter/X on December 29th. The statement detailed that the strike was on a vessel which intelligence confirmed allegedly “was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations.” In a video included in the post, a boat can be seen at a distance briefly before at least two explosions occur, and smoke can be seen rising above the water but nothing else is visible.

There were no additional details found among local sources about the victims.

Methodological note about classification of those killed in this incident

In documenting this incident, Airwars is following the guidance outlined by independent International Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law experts, whereby those on the vessels are understood to be civilians, given that the legal framework in which the strikes are being conducted remains in question.

Airwars has therefore included a civilian casualty count of two deaths.