Update: U.S. military strikes 3 vessels in eastern Pacific, Caribbean, killing 11

Xinhua
17 Feb 2026, 23:45 GMT+10

The U.S. administration has not provided evidence supporting its allegations about the boats, cargo or the people killed.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military struck three vessels in the eastern Pacific and the Caribbean on Monday, killing 11 people, the U.S. Southern Command said Tuesday.

Four people were killed on the first vessel in the eastern Pacific, four on the second vessel in the eastern Pacific, and three on the third vessel in the Caribbean, the command said on X.

"Intelligence confirmed the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes and were engaged in narco-trafficking operations," the command claimed.

It added that no U.S. military forces were harmed.

The U.S. administration has not provided evidence supporting its allegations about the boats, cargo or the people killed.

Since early September, the U.S. forces have launched about 40 known strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, killing more than 130 people.

The Pentagon resumed strikes on boats in late January following a Jan. 3 U.S. military raid in which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were forcibly seized.

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