US strikes another boat in eastern Pacific, killing two, Pentagon says

On August 19, 2026, the U.S. military targeted another vessel in the eastern Pacific, resulting in the deaths of two individuals who were allegedly involved in drug trafficking. The Pentagon announced the strike, citing information from the Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere. This marks the 62nd strike in the Trump administration's campaign to target such vessels off Latin America's Caribbean coast and in the eastern Pacific, bringing the total death toll to over 210 since the beginning of the operation.

The strike was executed on a low-profile vessel operating along known narco-trafficking routes, according to intelligence reports. "We are committed to imposing total systemic friction on narco-terrorists," stated General Francis Donovan, the head of U.S. Southern Command. The latest incident follows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's announcement that the U.S. would extend its offensive operations to land across multiple Latin American countries.

He stated that Colombia, Guatemala, and Honduras had agreed to allow joint U.S. military operations against criminal groups within their territories. However, Guatemala disputed the existence of such an agreement. Ecuador has also participated in similar U.S.-led operations with the military in March.