The offensive is part of a reinforced strategy for maritime security and combating drug trafficking in key routes of the Western Hemisphere. According to the US armed forces, these actions are part of the anti-drug campaign in the Caribbean and the Pacific, currently under the command of Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.
Since early September, military operations have resulted in at least 95 deaths and the destruction of 26 speedboats, commonly used by criminal organizations for drug transportation.
In a statement released through the social network X, the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) explained that military intelligence confirmed that the intercepted vessels were sailing along known drug trafficking routes in the eastern Pacific and were directly involved in illicit activities related to drug trafficking. The military also detailed that eight men identified as narco-terrorists died during the confrontations: three on the first vessel, two on the second, and three on the third. These operations reflect the tightening of US policy against maritime drug trafficking and transnational organized crime in the region.