Washington DC [US], December 18 (ANI): The US military on Wednesday conducted a strike on a vessel transiting the Eastern Pacific that killed four alleged 'narco-terrorists' at the direction of Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth.

This comes as a part of Operation Southern Spear, a campaign launched by the administration of US President Donald Trump to curb drug trafficking in the region.

In a post on X, the US Southern Command, which oversees America's military activities in Latin America and Caribbean, said that the vessel was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific.

No US military casualties were reported.

'On Dec. 17, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters. Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. A total of four male narco-terrorists were killed, and no U.S. military forces were harmed. #OpSouthernSpear', the Southern Command posted on X.

https://x.com/Southcom/status/2001464448750621120?s=20

Earlier on Tuesday, the US Southern Command shared that it carried out lethal strikes on three vessels operated by designated terrorist organisations in international waters, killing eight alleged narco-terrorists.

According to previous US military statements, at least 95 people have been killed so far in strikes targeting suspected drug boats since the operation began.

Earlier this month, US forces struck another suspected drug vessel in the Eastern Pacific on December 4, killing four people on board, CNN reported, citing a separate statement from the United States Southern Command.

The campaign has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and legal experts. The Trump administration has informed Congress that the United States is in an 'armed conflict' with drug cartels, which it says began with the first strike on September 2. That day, US forces carried out a second strike on a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean after an initial attack failed to kill everyone on board, according to earlier CNN reports.

Some Democratic lawmakers and legal analysts have questioned the legality of the strikes, arguing that follow-up attacks could amount to war crimes. The administration has defended its actions by labelling those killed as 'unlawful combatants' and citing a classified Justice Department determination that allows lethal strikes without judicial review.

The military campaign forms part of broader US pressure on Venezuela, including the deployment of thousands of troops and a carrier strike group to the Caribbean, as well as repeated warnings directed at Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Last week, the United States also announced fresh sanctions on shipping companies and vessels accused of helping transport Venezuelan oil, a day after US authorities seized a sanctioned tanker off Venezuela's coast, CNN reported. (ANI)