The U.S. struck a vessel in the eastern Pacific on Sunday, killing six people, U.S. Southern Command said. The kinetic strike, ordered by the commander of Southern Command, Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan, targeted a boat operated by “Designated Terrorist Organizations,” SOUTHCOM said on X. “Six male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed,” the post added. The post said the vessel was “engaged in narco-trafficking operations” and “transiting along known narco-trafficking routes.” No additional evidence for the claims was provided. The U.S. has conducted more than 40 strikes in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific since September, killing more than 140 people. The latest such strike, on Feb. 23, killed three people. Military Feb 20 U.S. military says it struck another alleged drug boat in Eastern Pacific, killing 3 Caribbean Feb 13 U.S. strikes alleged drug boat in Caribbean, killing three Military Feb 9 U.S. strike on alleged drug boat kills 2 and leaves a survivor The Trump administration has argued that the strikes are in the country’s national security interest, preventing illicit drugs from entering the U.S. But they have drawn criticism from lawmakers and advocacy groups, who have scrutinized the legal justification for them. Sunday’s strike comes only days after the most recent visit of a Cabinet-level secretary to Venezuela, with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum meeting with acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez. President Donald Trump officially recognized Rodríguez as Venezuela’s president Saturday and said the U.S. “formally recognized” its new government following Nicolás Maduro’s ouster. “I’m pleased to say that this week, we have formally recognized the Venezuelan government. We’ve actually legally recognized them,” Trump said at the Shield of the Americas Summit in Miami. “We have also just reached a historic gold deal. It’s called the gold deal with Venezuela to allow our two countries to work together to facilitate the sale of Venezuelan gold and other minerals.” Trump convened the summit to bring together the leaders of several “likeminded” Latin American countries to promote anti-drug trade strategies. Mosheh Gains contributed. ...read more read less