US military blows up drug vessel in Eastern Pacific, leaving 3 survivors

The U.S. military destroyed an alleged drug-smuggling vessel in the Eastern Pacific on Thursday, with three people rescued as survivors, according to an announcement Friday from U.S. Southern Command. Southcom said the low-profile vessel was operated by a designated terrorist organization and was traveling along known narco-trafficking routes in the region. The strike is part of the Pentagon's ongoing counter-narcotics operations in waters between Central and South America, where smuggling organizations regularly attempt to move cocaine and other drugs northward. It remains unclear whether the strike caused any deaths among those aboard the vessel. The operation underscores the Trump administration's continued focus on interdicting drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere, a priority that has intensified in recent years.