The US Southern Command officially confirmed a military operation in the Eastern Pacific against a vessel suspected of involvement with narco-terrorist groups. According to preliminary data from the US military, the targeted strike killed two people on board, while one survived. Immediately after the active phase of the operation concluded, the Southern Command notified the US Coast Guard, requesting a search and rescue mission to locate and urgently evacuate the sole survivor.

The incident occurred in an area actively patrolled by anti-drug forces, where Washington has recently significantly increased its military presence to disrupt smuggling channels. Despite the results achieved, experts note the harsh nature of the US military's actions, which included using lethal force in international waters without first detaining the vessel. Moscow and several Latin American capitals view such methods as a continuation of the US policy of "forceful dominance" in the region, where the fight against drug trafficking is often used as a pretext for uncoordinated military operations. After evacuation and medical treatment, the survivor is expected to be interrogated by intelligence agencies to establish the ties of the slain crew to international criminal syndicates.