On November 9, 2025, the United States military carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel allegedly affiliated with “a Designated Terrorist Organization,” reportedly killing three men described as “narco-terrorists” in international waters in the Eastern Pacific.

This strike was announced as one of two strikes on vessels in a statement published by @SecWar Pete Hegseth on Twitter/X on November 9th announcing the strikes on two vessels that were allegedly “associated with illicit narcotics smuggling, were carrying narcotics, and were transiting along a known narco-trafficking transit route”. The second strike on November 9th has been assessed separately in USMAR251109b. In a black and white video included in the post, a boat can be seen floating (it does not appear to be moving) in the water until it erupts into what appears to be flames and smoke. A second video shows a boat carrying cargo while moving through the water, and then a third video shows a boat moving through the water until at least two explosions engulf the boat in flames.

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 three deaths.