U.S. Forces Strike Suspected Narco Boat, 3 Killed

2026/04/21 at 12:40

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Unclassified aerial view of a naval vessel leaving a white wake.

This story has been updated to include the Navy ships operating in the Caribbean under U.S. Southern Command.

Joint Task Force Southern Spear forces struck a boat allegedly ferrying illicit narcotics in the Caribbean, U.S. Southern Command announced Sunday night.

Three men were killed in the strike, which makes the 53rd one since President Donald Trump announced the first one on Sept. 1. The SOUTHCOM strikes have killed at least 179 people, according to USNI News data.

This is the first strike on a ship in the Caribbean in April, as well as the first since February. The other strikes in April and March were in the Eastern Pacific. Sunday’s strike is the sixth in April, all since April 11, in what appears to be a renewed SOUTHCOM effort. There were three strikes in March.

Sunday’s strike was on a vessel allegedly operated by a designated terrorist organization, although the post did not name the organization. The post also did not say what drugs the boat allegedly ferried, although the Trump administration has said they carry cocaine and fentanyl, which President Donald Trump designated as a weapon of mass destruction.

While fentanyl causes the majority of fatal overdoses in the United States, the drug most often comes into the country via motor vehicle over the Mexico-U.S. border, according to the Government Accountability Office.

The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group is operating in the Caribbean Sea, according to the USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker. The Amphibious Ready Group includes USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7), USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28), USS San Antonio (LPD-17) and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit based out of Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Base New River. The 22nd MEU consists of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (Reinforced), Combat Logistics Battalion 26 and the Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment.

Guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG-70) and Littoral Combat Ship USS Billings (LCS-15) have also recently operated in the region.