Eight people have been killed in new United States military strikes targeting boats suspected of drug trafficking, the US military said on Wednesday, bringing the total death toll from Washington’s maritime campaign to at least 115.
The United States Southern Command said it carried out two sets of strikes on Tuesday and Wednesday against three suspected drug-smuggling boats travelling together in a convoy. According to the military, three people were killed on one vessel during the initial strike.
In a statement published on X, the military said the remaining occupants of the other boats jumped into the sea and attempted to disperse before follow-up strikes caused the remaining two vessels to sink. The military described those operating the boats as members of terrorist-linked organisations, without naming them.
The exact location of the strikes was not disclosed, although previous operations have taken place in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean. The statement was accompanied by video footage showing three boats moving together before being hit by multiple explosions.
The US military said it alerted the Coast Guard to activate search-and-rescue procedures but provided no further details on the fate of those who entered the water. Several hours later, the military issued a second statement confirming additional strikes on two other boats on Wednesday, resulting in five more deaths. The locations of those attacks were also not specified.
Since September, the administration of President Donald Trump has intensified pressure on Nicolás Maduro, accusing him of leading a large-scale drug trafficking network. Washington has also imposed a full blockade on sanctioned oil tankers travelling to or from Venezuela.
US forces have carried out more than 30 maritime strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific in recent months. While US officials say the boats were involved in narcotics trafficking, Washington has not publicly released evidence confirming that the targeted vessels were carrying drugs.
The United States has deployed significant military reinforcements to the Caribbean region. Venezuela has rejected the allegations, accusing the Trump administration of using false drug trafficking claims as a pretext to undermine Maduro’s government and seize control of the country’s vast oil resources.
On Dec. 30, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted kinetic strikes against three narco-trafficking vessels traveling as a convoy. These vessels were operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters. Intelligence… pic.twitter.com/NHRNIzcrFS
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) December 31, 2025
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