US Destroys narcotics sub off coast of venezuela
U.S. Military Strikes Down Venezuelan-Linked Drug Vessel in Pacific Waters
Full Video: https://youtu.be/z_IjNOKzSEY
December 23, 2025
In a bold escalation of its campaign against Latin American drug trafficking, the U.S. military conducted a precision airstrike on December 22, 2025, destroying a low-profile drug smuggling vessel in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The operation, part of the ongoing "Operation Southern Spear," targeted a semi-submersible go-fast boat believed to be operated by Venezuelan cartels, marking another chapter in the intensifying U.S. crackdown on narco-terrorism.
Defense officials confirmed the strike early Tuesday, describing the vessel as a "low-profile" craft designed to evade radar detection while transporting multi-ton loads of cocaine northward toward Central America. According to a statement from U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), intelligence gathered from satellite imagery and unmanned aerial surveillance pinpointed the boat approximately 300 nautical miles off the coast of Ecuador, en route from Colombian waters. The vessel, roughly 60 feet long with a shallow draft and camouflaged hull, was laden with an estimated 4 metric tons of cocaine valued at over $100 million on the U.S. street market.
The attack was executed by a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft out of Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, deploying AGM-114 Hellfire missiles in a surgical hit that sank the boat within minutes. One crew member was reported killed, with no survivors or captures noted in the aftermath. "This was a clear and present threat to American communities," said Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense, in a briefing from the Pentagon. "These narco-terrorists, backed by the Maduro regime, treat our waters as their highway. We're shutting it down."
The incident fits into a broader pattern of U.S. interdictions that have ramped up since President Trump's return to office in January 2025. Under Operation Southern Spear, launched in March, the U.S. has designated Venezuelan drug lords as "unlawful combatants" in an "armed conflict," justifying lethal force without traditional arrests. Since September, American forces have neutralized over 30 smuggling vessels, resulting in more than 105 fatalities, according to SOUTHCOM tallies. A notable precursor was the October 16 sinking of a full narco-submarine in the Caribbean Sea, just 50 miles off Venezuela's coast, where two crew died and two were detained.
Ties to Venezuela are central to the narrative. U.S. officials allege the destroyed vessel belonged to the Tren de Aragua syndicate, a brutal cartel with deep roots in Maduro's security apparatus. Declassified intel released Wednesday shows the boat's GPS logs tracing back to Puerto Cabello, a Venezuelan port long accused of being a narco hub. "Maduro's government isn't just turning a blind eye—they're fueling this plague," Hegseth added, echoing Trump's repeated vows to "bomb the cartels into oblivion."
Not everyone is applauding the heavy-handed approach. Colombian President Gustavo Petro condemned the strike as "extrajudicial vigilantism," warning it risks inflaming regional tensions and endangering innocent fishermen misidentified as smugglers. The United Nations Human Rights Office echoed concerns, citing a lack of transparent evidence—such as onboard photos of the cargo—in most U.S. operations. Venezuela's Foreign Ministry dismissed the claims outright, calling it "imperialist piracy" and vowing retaliation through allies in the Bolivarian Alliance.
As the death toll mounts, the strikes have yielded mixed results on the drug front. U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports a 15% dip in cocaine seizures along the Southwest border this quarter, but experts like those at the RAND Corporation caution that aggressive tactics may simply push traffickers toward riskier, higher-margin routes. With U.S. destroyers now patrolling the Caribbean and a nuclear submarine deployed off Trinidad and Tobago, the message is clear: Washington is prepared for a protracted sea battle.
For now, the Pacific waves have claimed another casualty in the war on drugs—one low-profile vessel reduced to wreckage, and a stark reminder of the high stakes in America's southern flank. As investigations continue, questions linger: How many more strikes before diplomacy—or escalation—takes the helm?