The United States military has killed five people in strikes on two suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Pacific Ocean, taking the overall death toll to at least 104 since September.

US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said the strikes were conducted on Thursday in international waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

According to the command, three people were killed on one vessel and two on the other. The operation was carried out on the instructions of US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and no US military personnel were harmed.

SOUTHCOM said intelligence assessments showed the vessels were moving along known drug-trafficking routes and were involved in smuggling operations. The US military described those killed as male narco-terrorists.

The latest action followed another US strike a day earlier on a separate vessel in the same region, which reportedly killed four people. In total, nine people were killed in US strikes over two days in the eastern Pacific, according to official statements.

Since September, the US has carried out repeated maritime strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Data compiled by Agence France-Presse shows that nearly 30 vessels have been destroyed during these operations, with at least 104 people killed.

On Dec. 18, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted lethal kinetic strikes on two vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters. Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known… pic.twitter.com/CcCyOgYRto

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) December 19, 2025

However, US authorities have not publicly provided evidence that all the targeted vessels were involved in drug trafficking.

Concerns have increased following reports that Defense Secretary Hegseth ordered a second strike on people who survived an earlier attack and were clinging to floating debris. Legal experts have warned that attacking shipwreck survivors could be considered a war crime under international law.

Several Latin American leaders and legal experts have described the US strikes as extrajudicial killings. President Donald Trump has defended the operations, saying they are necessary to stop drug trafficking into the United States, particularly from cartels operating out of Venezuela.

Trump has also ordered a large military deployment to Latin America and has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of overseeing a drug trafficking network.

Earlier this week, the US administration further increased pressure by ordering a total naval blockade of oil tankers under US sanctions entering or leaving Venezuelan ports, aiming to limit the country’s oil exports.

President Maduro has criticised the US military build-up, accusing Washington of using the fight against drugs as a cover for regime change and for seeking control of Venezuela’s oil resources.

As tensions grow, regional leaders have offered to help mediate. Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he was willing to act as a mediator between the US and Venezuela to prevent armed conflict.

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum also said she was ready to support efforts to find a peaceful solution and avoid US intervention.

References: News18, US Navy