US hits narco-boats in Caribbean/East Pacific as Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of US Southern Command, steers operations. Former SOCOM vice commander (2023–26).
Two aircraft have been involved in separate incidents. One aircraft has gone down in western Iraq, with the other landing safely. Meanwhile, the U.S. has conducted targeted operations in Ecuador to dismantle narco-terrorist networks, emphasizing ongoing cooperation in regional security efforts.
Since early September, the US has conducted over 40 naval strikes targeting suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, raising the death toll to at least 157. The strikes, justified as anti-narcotics operations, face legal and ethical criticism amid questions about evidence and civilian casualties.
The US military has conducted its 47th strike since September 2025 against vessels suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, killing at least 163 people. The strikes, based on unspecified intelligence, face legal and human rights criticism, with experts questioning their legality and effectiveness.
The US military conducted a strike on a vessel suspected of drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific, killing at least 163 people since September 2025. The operation, justified as targeting narco-traffickers, faces legal and ethical scrutiny due to lack of evidence and concerns over extrajudicial killings.
The US has continued its campaign against vessels it identifies as drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. Officials say several vessels have been destroyed with fatalities reported, though no public evidence has been released linking the targets to drug cargo. The White House asserts the actions are lawful and part of an armed conflict with cartels; critics call the strikes illegal and indiscriminate.
The US has announced fresh Treasury sanctions that have targeted Cuban president Miguel Díaz‑Canel, members of the Castro family and several Cuban institutions, while also maintaining an energy blockade that has deepened fuel shortages. Washington has additionally charged former president Raúl Castro over a 1996 downing of exile-operated planes, and US military and intelligence officials have held recent talks with Cuban counterparts.