At the direction of the commander of U.S. Southern Command, Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted three lethal kinetic strikes on three vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations, Southern Command said in the statement, which as has become customary was accompanied by a video showing the boats exploding after being hit by a missile. Intelligence confirmed the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes and were engaged in narco-trafficking operations, it added.
The U.S. military's top officer overseeingoperations in Central and South America will leave his assignment well ahead of schedule, officials said Thursday - an abrupt, surprising departure as President Donald Trump shows interest in extending his administration's campaign of violence against drug cartels in the region. Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey, the head of U.S. Southern Command, will retire at the end of the year, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a statement posted on social media.
