WATCH: US SMOKES 36th Drug Boat – First Since Maduro’s Capture
January 23, 2026 — U.S. military forces carried out a strike on a suspected drug‑smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Friday, killing two people and leaving one survivor, the U.S. Southern Command announced. This is the first known strike on a suspected trafficking boat since Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured earlier this month.
In a post on social media, Southern Command said intelligence showed the vessel was moving along well‑known narcotics trafficking routes and was involved in illegal drug operations. The U.S. Coast Guard was notified and activated search and rescue efforts for the surviving person.
This action is part of an ongoing U.S. military campaign against suspected drug‑smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean that began in September 2025. With this strike, at least 36 vessels have been targeted and at least 117 people killed, according to U.S. military announcements.
Earlier this month, U.S. forces conducted a major operation in Caracas that resulted in the capture of President Maduro and his wife. They were flown to New York, where they now face federal charges including conspiracy related to narcotics and weapons offenses. No U.S. service members were reported killed during that operation.
President Trump has emphasized the military’s actions as part of efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks that operate through maritime routes.
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