Press Release | April 19, 2026 On April 19, at the direction of the commander of U.S. Southern Command, Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Three male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed.

On April 19, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Three male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed. @DeptofWar #OpSouthernSpear

The U.S. military said it launched another strike on a boat accused of ferrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea, killing three people Sunday. The Trump administration’s campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has persisted since early September and killed at least 181 people in total. Other strikes have taken place in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Despite the Iran war, the series of strikes have ramped up again in the past week or so, showing that the administration’s aggressive measures to stop what it calls “narcoterrorism” in the Western Hemisphere are not letting up. The military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs. The attacks began as the U.S. built up its largest military presence in the region in generations and came months ahead of the raid in January that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He was brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges and has pleaded not guilty. In the latest attack Sunday, U.S. Southern Command repeated previous statements by saying it had targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. It posted a video on X showing a boat moving along the water before a massive explosion engulfs the vessel in flames. President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.” Critics, meanwhile, have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes.

The U.S. military said it launched another strike on a boat accused of ferrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea, killing three people Sunday. The Trump administration’s campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has persisted since early September and killed at least 181 people in total. Other strikes have taken place in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Despite the Iran war, the series of strikes have ramped up again in the past week or so, showing that the administration’s aggressive measures to stop what it calls “narcoterrorism” in the Western Hemisphere are not letting up. The military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs. The attacks began as the U.S. built up its largest military presence in the region in generations and came months ahead of the raid in January that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He was brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges and has pleaded not guilty. In the latest attack Sunday, U.S. Southern Command repeated previous statements by saying it had targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. It posted a video on X showing a boat moving along the water before a massive explosion engulfs the vessel in flames. President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.” Critics, meanwhile, have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes.

Suspected narco boat This story has been updated to include the Navy ships operating in the Caribbean under U.S. Southern Command. Joint Task Force Southern Spear forces struck a boat allegedly ferrying illicit narcotics in the Caribbean, U.S. Southern Command announced Sunday night. Three men were killed in the strike, which makes the 53rd one since President Donald Trump announced the first one on Sept. 1. The SOUTHCOM strikes have killed at least 179 people, according to USNI News data. This is the first strike on a ship in the Caribbean in April, as well as the first since February. The other strikes in April and March were in the Eastern Pacific. Sunday’s strike is the sixth in April, all since April 11, in what appears to be a renewed SOUTHCOM effort. There were three strikes in March. Sunday’s strike was on a vessel allegedly operated by a designated terrorist organization, although the post did not name the organization. The post also did not say what drugs the boat allegedly ferried, although the Trump administration has said they carry cocaine and fentanyl, which President Donald Trump designated as a weapon of mass destruction. While fentanyl causes the majority of fatal overdoses in the United States, the drug most often comes into the country via motor vehicle over the Mexico-U.S. border, according to the Government Accountability Office. The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group is operating in the Caribbean Sea, according to the USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker. The Amphibious Ready Group includes USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7), USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28), USS San Antonio (LPD-17) and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit based out of Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Base New River. The 22nd MEU consists of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (Reinforced), Combat Logistics Battalion 26 and the Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment. Guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG-70) and Littoral Combat Ship USS Billings (LCS-15) have also recently operated in the region.

Screenshot of the video shared by the United States Southern Command about the attack on an alleged drug boat. Reference image. Photo: US Southern Command's X social media account. Summarize and tell me quickly. Listen to this article. Audio generated with Google AI. The United States Armed Forces attacked a new vessel in the Caribbean and killed three people when, they claim, they were traveling along “known drug trafficking routes,” according to a post on social media this Sunday by the US Southern Command (Southcom). In a message posted on the X social network, Southcom reported that today, “under the direction of the commander of Southern Command (Southcom), General Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike against a vessel operated by designated terrorist organizations.” According to US intelligence, as stated in the X post, it was confirmed that the “vessel was involved in drug trafficking operations.” The message detailed that “three male narco-terrorists were killed during the operation” and no members of the US military were injured. This new attack comes within the framework of Operation Southern Spear, which the U.S. has been implementing since the second half of last year in the area of influence of the Southern Command (Central America, South America, and the Caribbean). Operation Southern Spear began its actions against alleged drug trafficking boats, without any concrete evidence to date, to increase pressure on Venezuela and its former president, Nicolás Maduro, who was captured on January 3 in a military operation carried out by Washington. Maduro is currently imprisoned and on trial in New York. 👀🌎📄 Have you heard the latest news from around the world? We invite you to see it in El Espectador. El Espectador, committed to offering the best experience to its readers, has forged a strategic alliance with The New York Times with a 30% discount. This plan offers a complete news experience, combining the best Colombian journalism with the international coverage of The New York Times. Don't miss the opportunity to access all these benefits and more. Subscribe to El Espectador today and experience journalism from a global perspective! 📧 📬 🌍 If you're interested in receiving a weekly summary of news and analysis from El Espectador's International section, you can visit our newsletter portfolio, search for "It's Not the End of the World," and subscribe to our newsletter. To contact the team, please write to mmedina@elespectador.com. Recommended topics: Follow us on Google News

Captura de pantalla del video que compartió el Comando Sur de Estados Unidos sobre el ataque a una supuesta narcolancha. Imagen de referencia.Foto: Cuenta de la red social X del Comando Sur de Estados UnidosResume e infórmame rápidoEscucha este artículoAudio generado con IA de GoogleLas Fuerzas Armadas de Estados Unidos atacaron una nueva embarcación en el Caribe y mataron a tres personas cuando, aseguran, transitaban por “rutas conocidas del narcotráfico”, según publicó este domingo en sus redes sociales el Comando Sur estadounidense (Southcom).En un mensaje publicado en la red social X, el Southcom informó que hoy, “bajo la dirección del comandante del Comando Sur (Southcom), el general Francis L. Donovan, la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Southern Spear llevó a cabo un ataque cinético letal contra una embarcación operada por organizaciones terroristas designadas”.De acuerdo a la Inteligencia de EE.UU., según el post de X, se confirmó que la “embarcación participaba en operaciones de narcotráfico”.El mensaje detalló que “tres narcoterroristas hombres murieron durante la operación” y ningún miembro de las fuerzas militares del país norteamericano resultó herido. Este nuevo ataque se produce en el marco de la operación ‘Southern Spear’ (Lanza del Sur), que EE.UU. implementa desde el segundo semestre del año anterior en el área de influencia del Comando Sur (Centroamérica, Suramérica y el Caribe).La operación Lanza del Sur comenzó sus acciones contra supuestas lanchas del narcotráfico, sin que hasta ahora se conozca pruebas concretas, para incrementar la presión contra Venezuela y su expresidente Nicolás Maduro, quien el 3 de enero capturado en una operación militar realizada por Washington. Actualmente Maduro se encuentra preso y en juicio en Nueva York. 👀🌎📄 ¿Ya se enteró de las últimas noticias en el mundo? Invitamos a verlas en El Espectador.El Espectador, comprometido con ofrecer la mejor experiencia a sus lectores, ha forjado una alianza estratégica con The New York Times con el 30 % de descuento.Este plan ofrece una experiencia informativa completa, combinando el mejor periodismo colombiano con la cobertura internacional de The New York Times. No pierda la oportunidad de acceder a todos estos beneficios y más. ¡Suscríbase aquí a El Espectador hoy y viva el periodismo desde una perspectiva global! 📧 📬 🌍 Si le interesa recibir un resumen semanal de las noticias y análisis de la sección Internacional de El Espectador, puede ingresar a nuestro portafolio de newsletters, buscar “No es el fin del mundo” e inscribirse a nuestro boletín. Si desea contactar al equipo, puede hacerlo escribiendo a mmedina@elespectador.comTemas recomendados:Síguenos en Google Noticias

The United States announced on Sunday an attack on a vessel in the Caribbean that killed three people, according to a statement from Southern Command. They accused the boat of traveling along “known drug trafficking routes,” without specifying the location of the attack. In a message posted on the social media platform X, Southcom reported that “under the direction of the commander of Southern Command, General Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike against a vessel operated by designated terrorist organizations.” According to the X post, U.S. intelligence confirmed that “the vessel was involved in drug trafficking operations.” The message detailed that “three male narco-terrorists were killed during the operation” and no members of the U.S. military were injured. This latest attack comes as part of Operation Southern Spear, which the U.S. has been implementing since the second half of last year in the Southern Command's area of influence (Central America, South America, and the Caribbean). Operation Southern Spear began its actions against alleged drug trafficking boats, without any concrete evidence to date, to increase pressure on Venezuela and its former president Nicolás Maduro, who was captured on January 3 in a military operation carried out by Washington.

Estados Unidos ha anunciado este domingo el ataque sobre una embarcación en el Caribe en el que ha matado a tres personas, según un comunicado del Comando Sur. Acusan a la lancha de transitar por “rutas conocidas del narcotráfico”, sin especificar el lugar del bombardeo.En un mensaje publicado en la red social X, el Southcom ha informado que “bajo la dirección del comandante del Comando Sur, el general Francis L. Donovan, la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Southern Spear llevó a cabo un ataque cinético letal contra una embarcación operada por organizaciones terroristas designadas”. La inteligencia de Estados Unidos, según el post de X, ha confirmado que “la embarcación participaba en operaciones de narcotráfico”. El mensaje ha detallado que “tres narcoterroristas hombres murieron durante la operación” y ningún miembro de las fuerzas militares del país norteamericano resultó herido. Este nuevo ataque se produce en el marco de la operación Lanza del Sur, que el país norteamericano implementa desde el segundo semestre del año pasado en el área de influencia del Comando Sur (Centroamérica, Sudamérica y el Caribe). La operación Lanza del Sur comenzó sus acciones contra supuestas lanchas del narcotráfico, sin que hasta ahora se conozcan pruebas concretas, para incrementar la presión contra Venezuela y su expresidente Nicolás Maduro, que fue capturado el 3 de enero en una operación militar realizada por Washington.

@Southcom: On April 19, at the direction of the commander of U.S. Southern Command, General Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike against a vessel operated by designated terrorist organizations. Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was transiting known drug trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in drug trafficking operations. Three suspected drug traffickers were killed during this action. No U.S. military personnel were injured.

.@Southcom: El 19 de abril, por instrucción del comandante del Comando Sur, el general Francis L. Donovan, la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Southern Spear llevó a cabo un ataque cinético letal contra una embarcación operada por organizaciones designadas como terroristas. La inteligencia confirmó que la embarcación transitaba por rutas conocidas de narcotráfico en el Caribe y participaba en operaciones de narcotráfico. Tres hombres narcoterroristas murieron durante esta acción. Ninguna fuerza militar de Estados Unidos resultó herida.

According to US intelligence, it was confirmed that the "vessel was involved in drug trafficking operations."

De acuerdo a la información de la Inteligencia de EE.UU.,se confirmó que la «embarcación participaba en operaciones de narcotráfico».

#BREAKING | A speedboat with three people on board was targeted in a kinetic attack by the United States armed forces, according to Southern Command. All three people died and were identified as belonging to a terrorist organization, a designation the U.S. uses for drug cartels. More information on Radio Fórmula https://radioformula.com.mx/mundo/trump-ataca-de-nuevo-3-personas-mueren-durante-ataque-cinetico-a-lancha-en-el-caribe-video-20260419-0049.html…

#ÚLTIMAHORA | Una lancha con tres personas a bordo fue víctima de un ataque cinético por parte de las fuerzas armadas de los Estados Unidos, de acuerdo con el Comando Sur. Todas las personas fallecieron y fueron señaladas por pertenecer a una organización terrorista, designación que EU da a los cárteles del narcotráfico. Más información en Radio Fórmula https://radioformula.com.mx/mundo/trump-ataca-de-nuevo-3-personas-mueren-durante-ataque-cinetico-a-lancha-en-el-caribe-video-20260419-0049.html…

#BreakingNews | Southern Command reports that Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike against a vessel operated by suspected designated terrorist organizations. Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was transiting known drug trafficking routes in the Caribbean. Three crew members were killed during the operation, while there were no U.S. military casualties. Video: X Southcom

#ÚltimaHora | El Comando Sur informa que la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Lanza del Sur llevó a cabo un ataque cinético letal contra un buque operado por presuntas organizaciones terroristas designadas. La inteligencia confirmó que el buque transitaba por rutas conocidas de narcotráfico en el Caribe. Tres tripulantes fueron abatidos durante esta acción, mientras que no hubo bajas en las fuerzas militares de EE. UU. Video: X Southcom

#20Apr | The United States Southern Command (@Southcom) reported on a new attack carried out on #19Apr against a vessel allegedly linked to drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea, which left three suspects dead.

#20Abr | El Comando Sur de Estados Unidos (@Southcom) informó sobre un nuevo ataque llevado a cabo el #19Abr contra una embarcación presuntamente vinculada al narcotráfico en el mar Caribe, que dejó tres sospechosos muertos.

Escalation in the Caribbean: The U.S. Southern Command confirms a new "lethal kinetic attack" against a suspected drug-trafficking speedboat. Under the Trump administration, the offensive against "narcoterrorism" has already resulted in 180 deaths amid concerns from legal experts regarding human rights. https://24horaspuebla.com/2026/04/eu-ataca-en-el-caribe-una-presunta-narcolancha-y-mueren-3-personas/…

Escalada en el Caribe: El Comando Sur de EE. UU. confirma un nuevo "ataque cinético letal" contra una presunta narcolancha. Bajo la administración de Donald Trump, la ofensiva contra el "narcoterrorismo" ya suma 180 muertes entre dudas de expertos legales sobre derechos humanos. https://24horaspuebla.com/2026/04/eu-ataca-en-el-caribe-una-presunta-narcolancha-y-mueren-3-personas/…