The operation, framed within the security strategy promoted by Donald Trump, targeted a vessel suspected of transporting drugs in routes considered key for smuggling.
According to official sources, the attack was part of the campaign initiated in September 2025, which has already caused over 180 deaths in Latin American waters, including actions in the Caribbean Sea. However, US authorities have not presented public evidence confirming that the destroyed vessels were carrying narcotics.
Following Sunday's operation, the Southern Command released a video on the social network X showing a speedboat being hit by an explosion. According to the Army, the target was navigating usual drug trafficking routes.
These attacks coincide with the largest US military deployment in the region in decades and preceded the capture in January of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, who was extradited to New York to face drug trafficking charges.
While Donald Trump defends these actions as part of an "armed conflict" against cartels, international organizations question their legality and warn of possible violations of international law.