A list of US military strikes against alleged drug-carrying vessels
By Riley Ceder and Beth Sullivan
Editor’s note: This list was updated on April 15, 2026, at 2:02 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
Since early September 2025, the U.S. military has conducted strikes against alleged drug-carrying vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean in support of what the Pentagon has called continued counternarcotics efforts.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office designating cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. The administration, arguing the U.S. is in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels, has described the strikes as necessary to prevent illicit drugs from entering the United States.
Military Times is maintaining a list of strikes conducted by the U.S. military since early September, based on reporting by Military Times, The Associated Press and strikes acknowledged by the Trump administration.
As of April 15, the Trump administration and U.S. military have disclosed 51 strikes, killing at least 161 people.
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2025/11/06/a-list-of-us-military-strikes-against-alleged-drug-carrying-vessels/
