On December 31, 2025, the United States military carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel allegedly affiliated with “Designated Terrorist Organizations,” reportedly killing three men described as “narco-terrorists”. The statement did not initially mention a location nor specify that the strike occurred in international waters. However, the statement was updated at an unknown time to state that the strike occurred in the Eastern Pacific.

This strike was announced as one of two strikes on vessels in a statement published by @Southcom on Twitter/X on December 31st announcing the strikes on two vessels that were allegedly “transiting along known narco-trafficking routes and engaged in narco-trafficking.” The second strike on December 31st has been assessed separately in USMAR251231b. In a black and white video included in the post, a boat can be seen briefly before it explodes into flames and is shown at the very end floating with debris closeby – it is unclear if both vessel strikes were included or only one.

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.