Latest U.S. strike on an alleged drug boat kills 3 in the eastern Pacific Ocean

Trump administrationU.S. strike on an alleged drug boat kills 3 in the eastern Pacific Ocean in fourth attack of the weekThe death toll in U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats is now 205.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00President Donald Trump's Defense Department, led by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, carried out another attack on an alleged drug boat on Saturday in the fourth such attack of the week.Samuel Corum / Sipa / Bloomberg via Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 31, 2026, 1:45 PM EDTBy The Associated PressWASHINGTON — The U.S. military said it carried out another strike Saturday on a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three men in the fourth attack of the week and putting the total death toll at 205.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.U.S. Southern Command announced the strike with its usual language that the vessel was “engaged in narco-trafficking operations” and operated by a designated terrorist organization. It provided no evidence for the allegation.It’s the latest in a monthslong campaign against alleged drug boats traversing the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific.Video released by the military on social media shows a small vessel floating in the ocean before it’s hit and engulfed in a fireball.The attack brings the death toll to 205 in a series of U.S. strikes that began in early September, with other attacks announced on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. The Trump administration has declared that the U.S. is at armed conflict with Latin American drug cartels, saying they are behind the flow of drugs into American communities.U.S. Southern Command said in its post on X that the strike came at the direction of Gen. Francis L. Donovan, the top U.S. commander in Latin America.ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleThe Associated PressThe Associated Press