U.S. Coast Guard Scrambles to Find Survivors Who Jumped After Drug Boat Strikes
The U.S. military struck a convoy of suspected drug-trafficking vessels on Dec. 30, and now the U.S. Coast Guard is searching for multiple people who jumped overboard and are missing at sea, according to U.S. officials. This comes as part of an intensifying campaign against maritime drug smuggling.
The strikes targeted three vessels traveling together along known narcotics routes, U.S. Southern Command said, resulting in the deaths of at least three individuals on the first boat. Survivors on the other two boats “abandoned ship,” jumping into the water before follow-on engagements sank those vessels, prompting a search-and-rescue response.
U.S. officials have activated Coast Guard assets, including a C-130 aircraft and nearby vessels, to locate up to eight people reported to have plunged into the ocean after abandoning their boats. The search is underway in international waters, likely in the Pacific Ocean, though the exact location was not disclosed.
The strikes were ordered under the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, U.S. Southern Command said, with intelligence cited that the boats were engaged in drug trafficking. However, independent verification of narcotics aboard has not been made public.
Officials described the individuals as “narco-terrorists,” a designation tied to the broader campaign the administration says is aimed at stemming the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S. This operation marks one of more than 30 maritime strikes this fall and winter, which have resulted in at least 110 reported deaths.
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“The U.S. Coast Guard is coordinating search-and-rescue operations with vessels in the area,” one agency statement said.
Critics in Washington have questioned the legality of strikes that sink vessels with survivors in the water, while the administration defends the tactics as necessary to disrupt trafficking networks. The Coast Guard’s involvement reflects a priority on saving lives after the attacks.
As the search continues over the coming days, officials say they will update family members and partner nations on any rescues or recoveries.
What happens next…
The Coast Guard is expected to continue search operations through today and coordinate with international maritime traffic, with updates likely from SOUTHCOM once status reports are available.
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