U.S. military kills two in strike on drug trafficking boat

In Ecuador, U.S. military forces struck a drug trafficking vessel in the eastern Pacific on August 23, 2026, killing two individuals. This marked the first military action in over two months, part of a campaign against narcotraffickers that has resulted in over 210 deaths since September 2025. The U.S. Southern Command stated the operation targeted a vessel along established drug routes, while critics raised concerns about the legality and effectiveness of such strikes.