THREE men suspected of trafficking drugs were killed in a US military airstrike in the Eastern Pacific on November 15, US Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) confirmed.

"At the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organisation. Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics. Three male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed. The vessel was trafficking narcotics in the Eastern Pacific and was struck in international waters," USSOUTHCOM said in a post on X.

Since September, at least 83 people have been killed in about 21 airstrikes in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific as the US military continues a historic buildup of assets in the region. Washington said it is to combat narcotrafficking, but given the armada assembling, there are fears the US intends to attack Venezuela.