On February 9, the South American Command (SOUTHCOM) confirmed that the target of the attack was a ship moving through international waters, suspected of belonging to a transnational crime ring.
In a statement posted on social network X, a SOUTHCOM representative affirmed that this military action is based on accurate intelligence. "Information confirms that the ship is moving along identified drug smuggling routes in the Eastern Pacific and is directly involved in illegal transportation activities," the statement stated.
The consequence of the attack was that 2 suspects on board died on the spot. However, functional forces confirmed that there was still one survivor after the incident.
Immediately after that, the US military activated the humanitarian process, notifying the US Coast Guard to deploy vehicles to carry out the search and rescue operation at the scene.
The Eastern Pacific region has long been considered a "drug avenue" at sea, where South American criminal gangs seek to transport large quantities of cocaine and other banned substances towards Mexico and the United States.
To avoid detection by radar and patrol forces, smuggling groups often use specialized vehicles that are difficult to detect. The most common are high-speed ships with flexible movement, or more dangerous are self-made semi-submarines. These vehicles are often painted blue to blend with seawater and have a low cross-section design, making remote detection extremely difficult.
Blockade operations in this area are usually close coordination between the Navy and the US Coast Guard, under the joint command of SOUTHCOM.
Usually, these forces will try to approach, send a signal to stop the train and carry out the arrest of the suspect and exhibits. The use of deadly firepower as in the case on February 9 is a serious and less likely situation, usually only carried out when there are signs of direct threat or when the subjects stubbornly resist fiercely.
Currently, the identities of the deceased as well as the nationality of the ship have not been announced. US authorities are continuing to investigate and clarify the scale and origin of this suspicious shipment.
