The Pentagon has released previously classified images showing suspected drug-smuggling vessels at sea, alongside a fresh warning that the US will continue lethal strikes against traffickers. The move comes almost a year after the Trump administration began its campaign against suspected drug-trafficking boats, with officials framing it as a continued deterrent against "narco-terrorists" who threaten American communities.

The photos, dated late October and early December 2025, show boats under US military surveillance, some reportedly carrying narcotics. Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said Operation Southern Spear has now conducted 67 strikes since the first on 2 September 2025, disrupting trafficking networks and forcing smugglers to change tactics. Recent strikes include one on 25 August that killed four alleged smugglers in the Caribbean and another days earlier that killed two people in the Eastern Pacific. Washington is also seeking agreements with Colombia, Honduras and Ecuador, among others, to extend operations onto land, though Guatemala has denied reaching such a deal.