Three killed in strike on alleged Drug Boat in the Caribbean

U.S. FORCES WITH Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere struck a go-fast vessel in the Caribbean, killing three people, U.S. Southern Command announced late Wednesday [September 9,2026].

The Wednesday strike, the first in September, comes as Marines and sailors have been interdicting floating refuelling stations in the Eastern Pacific that are allegedly linked to Los Choneros organized crime syndicate as part of the task force.

SOUTHCOM has not said why it interdicts the refuelling stations but strikes boats allegedly ferrying illicit narcotics.

At least 230 people have been killed in strikes on the alleged drug boats. It has been one year since the strikes began.

A video of the Wednesday strike accompanying the SOUTHCOM post on social media site X shows a covered boat being hit and bursting into flames with another clip showing what looks to be several boxes floating in the water. The post did not give additional details about what the boat allegedly carried.

The Trump administration has said the boats carry fentanyl and cocaine, although Government Accountability Office reports say fentanyl typically comes into the country via passenger vehicles crossing the Mexico-U.S. border, while supplies to make the synthetic narcotic often come from China.

It is unclear what effect the strikes have had on fatal overdoses in the U.S.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show fatal overdoses declining since September, 2023. (USNI News)