US military strikes two alleged drug-smuggling boats, killing five 'narco-terrorists' in Pacific

The U.S. military struck two alleged drug-smuggling boats in the eastern Pacific, killing five "narco-terrorists," according to the U.S. Southern Command.

The strikes occurred on Thursday, bringing the total number of strikes in the Pacific and Caribbean to at least 26, killing at least 104 alleged narco-terrorists since early September, The Hill news outlet reported.

"On Dec. 18, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted lethal kinetic strikes on two vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters," U.S. Southern Command posted on X on Thursday.

"Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and were engaged in narco-trafficking operations. A total of five male narco-terrorists were killed during these actions - three in the first vessel and two in the second vessel. No U.S. military forces were harmed."