A U.S. strike on a boat suspected of drug smuggling off Costa Rica’s Pacific coast resulted in at least two deaths and one critical injury, authorities reported Friday. The incident occurred approximately 126 nautical miles from Golfito, on the southern Pacific coast.
The U.S. Southern Command announced the “lethal kinetic strike” against the vessel, stating intelligence confirmed it was operating on known drug trafficking routes and involved in related operations. A video released by the military showed an explosion of the boat.
Costa Rican authorities recovered two bodies and one survivor, who was transported to Golfito Hospital with severe burns and chest trauma. The U.S. military initially reported three survivors and activated a search and rescue system, later handing over the recovered individuals to the Costa Rican Coast Guard.
The number of people originally aboard the boat remains unclear. This strike is the latest in a series of similar actions taken by U.S. forces in the Pacific and Caribbean oceans targeting suspected drug smuggling vessels.