COSTA RICA'S SOUTHERN PACIFIC COAST — U.S. Southern Command conducted a lethal strike on a boat suspected of transporting illegal drugs off Costa Rica's southern Pacific coast, killing at least two people and injuring one. The strike was part of ongoing operations targeting vessels operated by groups designated as foreign terrorist organizations by U.S. authorities.

"Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a low-profile vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations," U.S. Southern Command said. "Intelligence confirmed the low-profile vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Three narco-terrorists survived the strike."

At 8:15 a.m. Friday, Steven Umaña, regional operations coordinator for the Costa Rican Red Cross, received an alert from the Coast Guard about a shipwreck 126 nautical miles from Golfito on the country's southern Pacific coast. Upon arrival, one person was found with severe burns and chest trauma and was transported in critical condition to the Golfito Hospital. Two people were found with no vital signs.

After the strike, U.S. Southern Command immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate the search and rescue system for survivors. The Judicial Investigation Agency confirmed it received the bodies, which were handed over by a U.S. Navy force at sea to Costa Rica's Coast Guard Service and delivered to judicial authorities once at port.

The attack was the latest in a series of strikes by the U.S. on boats in the Pacific and Caribbean oceans suspected of transporting drugs. On March 8, U.S. Southern Command conducted a strike on a vessel in the same area of the Pacific and said six male suspects were killed during the action. Since September, the U.S. has carried out more than 45 strikes in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, killing over 140 people.

General Francis Donovan, head of U.S. Southern Command, directed the strike. The Trump administration argued the strikes are in the U.S. national security interest and have saved lives by preventing illicit drugs from entering the country.

A video posted by the administration shows an explosion of the boat. Costa Rica's National Coast Guard Operations Center received an alert about a shipwreck and dispatched a vessel 126 nautical miles from Golfito on the country's southern Pacific coast to respond.

In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Gen. Francis Donovan said, "Boat strikes aren't the answer." Gen. Francis Donovan said U.S. Southern Command is working on a counter cartel campaign process to impose systemic friction across various drug networks.