On February 23, 2026, 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” in the Caribbean Sea.

This strike was announced by U.S. Southern Command @Southcom on Twitter/X on February 23rd. The statement detailed that “at the direction of #SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan” the strike was on a vessel which intelligence confirmed allegedly “was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations.” In a video included in the post, a stationary boat floating in the water is seen exploding into flames and smoke.

An investigation by the Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism (CLIP) identified 46-year-old Eduard José Hidalgo, a Venezuelan citizen and father of five children, as one of the victims killed in the attack on February 23rd. According to those who knew him, he had recently been deported from the U.S. and landed in Caracas on December 3, 2025. Eduard, known by the nickname “El Chingo,” had been born in Caracas but had lived in Güiria since he was a child, becoming a fisherman of "artisanal" fishing using small wooden boats powered by outboard motors. A friend of Eduards named Mar told CLIP that “We found out what happened through social media and through relatives of the other two boys who were with him." According to her, the other victims were also from Güiria but have only been identified by their nicknames - Andresito and Topo.

Mar told CLIP that those "involved in the business" had told her that the vessel had been attacked while it was on its way back and had been waiting for another vessel to bring them fuel so they count make it to shore. Those that knew him said that Eduard had been involved in making "runs" of various kinds of cargo for around 10 years. He had struggled to find well-paying work in his town that would support his five children, all of whom were teenagers or younger. However, Mar doubted that Eduard had set out on the trip by choice, saying They forced him. They were looking for him. The organization he used to do those ‘jobs’ for—the same people from Río Salado—came looking for him after he was deported from the United States. He made one trip to Trinidad and didn’t want to do any more. But they kept pressuring him, and he ended up having to go on that trip.”

Reporting by CLIP mentioned that loved ones had expressed their mourning on social media, with one post exclaiming "What pain and sadness this news brings. My friend, my brother."

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.