US military strikes drug vessel; follow-up strike kills two survivors

U.S. military forces struck a semi-submersible vessel in international Caribbean waters on September 2, 2025, killing 11 people as part of Operation Southern Spear. Two survivors clung to the capsized wreckage for 41 minutes while U.S. command deliberated on next steps. A second strike was then ordered that killed both survivors. Subsequent reporting by The Washington Post and The New York Times indicated that SOCOM ordered the follow-on strike; Republican Senator Tom Cotton later said the commanding officer stated he received no order to kill survivors.