Late on a Monday, US military strikes targeted and killed four individuals aboard a ship in the Eastern Pacific, four on a second ship in the same region, and three on a third ship in the Caribbean, according to the US Southern Command via social media. The strikes were documented with video footage showing the vessels, two of which were stationary during the attack while the third was in motion. Visual evidence indicated that there were people moving aboard at the time of the strikes.

The operations, initiated by the administration of former President Donald Trump in early September, aimed at suspected smuggling vessels, asserting that they were effectively engaged in a war against alleged "narco-terrorists" operating within Latin America. Since the commencement of these operations, dozens of strikes have been executed, resulting in the deaths of over 140 individuals and the destruction of numerous vessels linked to drug trafficking.

However, the lack of solid evidence presented by administration officials regarding the involvement of these vessels in drug trade has sparked contentious debates concerning the legitimacy and morality of the operations, revealing a complex intersection of military power and drug enforcement that raises questions about international law and human rights.