Pentagon Watchdog Opens Probe Into US Military Strikes on Drug Boats in Caribbean and Pacific

Written By Thomas Owen

An aerial photograph of a go-fast vessel in open Caribbean waters

The US Defense Department's inspector general announced on Monday that it is investigating US Southern Command over its targeting practices in Operation Southern Spear — the campaign of lethal strikes on alleged drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific that has killed at least 193 people across 58 strikes since it began last September.

The investigation was first reported by Bloomberg on 18 May and is based on a letter from the Pentagon's Office of Inspector Generaldated 11 May. The probe was self-initiated and is not a response to a congressional request, according to an IG spokeswoman.

The scope, as stated in the IG letter, is "the joint process for targeted vessels in the US Southern Command area of responsibility as part of Operation Southern Spear." In practice, investigators will examine the full six-phase Joint Targeting Cycle — commander's intent, target development, intelligence analysis, the decision to strike, planning and execution, and post-strike assessment. The investigation will be conducted at the Pentagon and at SOUTHCOM's headquarters in Miami.

Operation Southern Spear began in September 2025 and expanded to the Eastern Pacific in October of that year. Under the operation, US forces have conducted airstrikes and other lethal kinetic strikes on small vessels that intelligence identified as transiting "known narcotrafficking routes," according to SOUTHCOM press statements. Three strikes have been carried out in May 2026 alone, killing seven people. A Stars and Stripes report confirmed the most recent strike on 8 May in the Eastern Pacific killed two people and left one survivor, for whom the US Coast Guard launched a search-and-rescue operation.

The pace of strikes accelerated in April following what officials described as a relative lull after the capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January. The White House has identified eliminating drug cartels in the Western Hemisphere as the Trump administration's highest counterterrorism priority.

The legal basis for the strikes has been contested from within the chain of command. NBC News reported in November 2025 that SOUTHCOM's senior military lawyer raised legal objections to the operations and was sidelined. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have since demanded greater oversight and questioned whether the strikes comply with US and international law.

The most operationally significant allegation under investigation is a reported "double-tap" incident in which US forces returned to a stricken vessel and killed survivors who had survived an initial strike — a potential violation of the law of armed conflict. NBC News attributed the allegation to US officials; the Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The inspector general's investigation may or may not address this specific incident in its scope; the IG letter, as made public, describes the evaluation's focus as the targeting process rather than individual strikes.

The command has also seen leadership change over the same period. SOUTHCOM commander Adm. Alvin Holsey announced his early retirement in October 2025 and formally stepped down on 12 December 2025, having served just over one year in the role. Marine Corps Gen. Frank Donovan assumed command on 5 February 2026.

For maritime practitioners operating in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, the operational picture is as follows. US forces are conducting lethal strikes on small, high-speed vessels at sea, predominantly near Venezuelan waters and along established transit corridors. The vessels targeted are typically go-fast boats and similar craft. No commercial vessels have been struck. NPR reporting has noted that the majority of cocaine moved via these Caribbean maritime corridors is destined for Europe rather than the United States, and Colombian authorities have noted no reduction in maritime drug flow. Independent analysts have described the strikes as having limited deterrent effect on trafficking networks, which absorb vessel losses as an operating cost.

The investigative focus now shifts to whether SOUTHCOM's targeting process meets the legal standards required for lethal operations — a question with direct implications for maritime security doctrine in the region and for how flag states, P&I clubs, and vessel operators assess risk in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea.

As of writing, Operation Southern Spear is ongoing. The IG investigation has no stated completion date. The Pentagon has not issued a response to the announcement.

Sources:

Thomas Owen
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