The US drug boat strike in the eastern Pacific has killed two people and left one survivor, according to the US military, marking the first known lethal strike on an alleged drug-smuggling vessel since the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.
The incident, confirmed on Friday by US Southern Command, raises fresh questions about Washington’s intensifying anti-narcotics campaign and its wider political impact on Latin America.
The strike happened last week in the eastern Pacific Ocean, targeting a suspected narco-trafficking boat, and involved US military forces, with the US Coast Guard later alerted for rescue operations.
While the action took place far from the UK, it matters because drug trafficking routes directly affect cocaine supply chains into Europe, including Britain, according to UK law enforcement assessments.
What exactly happened in the latest US drug boat strike?
The US military said the vessel was “engaged in narco-trafficking operations” when it was targeted. Footage released on official US military social media channels shows a small boat moving at speed before exploding in flames.
US Southern Command: “The vessel was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Two individuals were killed, and one survivor was recovered after Coast Guard search and rescue operations.”
📢 BREAKING NEWS – US forces executed a lethal strike Friday on another drug boat in the Eastern Pacific that was being operated by a designated terrorist organization according to US Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM). pic.twitter.com/OHktr5Y9zr
— The Constitutional Conservative (@TheCCShowcast) January 23, 2026
US Southern Command confirmed that two people died at the scene, while one person survived and was later assisted by the US Coast Guard.
Why is this strike significant now?
This US drug boat strike is the first publicly confirmed attack of its kind since the dramatic capture of Nicolás Maduro on 3 January in Caracas.
US forces carried out that raid inside Venezuela and transferred Maduro and his wife to New York, where they now face federal drug trafficking charges.
Before his capture, Maduro repeatedly claimed that US anti-drug operations were being used as a cover to remove him from power.
For analysts, the timing suggests the US is maintaining military pressure on drug routes linked to Venezuela, even after achieving its highest-profile arrest in decades.
How often has the US carried out drug boat strikes?
According to official US military statements:
- 36 known strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats have taken place since early September
- At least 117 people have been killed
- Most strikes occurred in the Caribbean Sea
- The remainder took place in the eastern Pacific Ocean
Recent US drug boat strike data
| Timeframe | Number of strikes | Reported deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Sept–Dec | 35 | At least 115 |
| January (latest) | 1 | 2 |
The last reported strikes before this incident happened in late December, when five boats were hit over two days, killing eight people. In that case, the US Coast Guard later suspended search efforts for people believed to have jumped overboard.
What has the US government said about the impact?
US President Donald Trump, speaking this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, claimed the operations were dramatically reducing drug flows by sea.
Donald Trump: “We’ve stopped, virtually stopped almost 100% of all drugs coming in by water.”
While US officials present the strikes as a success, independent verification of those claims remains limited, and drug monitoring bodies in Europe say supply routes often adapt rather than disappear.
Does this affect the UK and Europe?
Yes. The UK National Crime Agency has repeatedly warned that cocaine entering Europe increasingly originates from Latin American maritime routes, before reaching UK ports via Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
Any sustained disruption in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific could:
- Temporarily increase cocaine prices in the UK
- Push trafficking networks to more dangerous or indirect routes
- Increase organised crime competition within Europe
What happens next?
The US military has not said whether more strikes are planned, but officials have confirmed that naval and aerial surveillance operations are ongoing.
With Maduro now in US custody, attention may shift to other regional actors accused of supporting narco-trafficking networks.
For now, the latest US drug boat strike signals that Washington’s hard-line approach is continuing, and possibly escalating.
