US Airstrike on Drug Boat Kills 4 in Eastern Pacific

This strike was the latest military action in President Donald Trump’s efforts to halt drug trafficking to the United States.A still from a video of an alleged drug boat being targeted by U.S. forces. U.S. Southern Command12/17/2025|Updated: 12/18/2025The United States conducted another airstrike on a drug boat in the Eastern Pacific on Wednesday, killing four, according to the U.S. Southern Command.The attack was ordered by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and joins a growing list of at least two dozen other strikes against drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Pacific.Troy Myers is a regional reporter based in St. Augustine, Florida. His background includes breaking, criminal justice, and investigative writing for local news, producing on a national morning newscast in Washington, D.C., and working with an award-winning, weekly investigative news program. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his dog at the beach.Author’s Selected Articles