The United States says a military task force carried out a lethal strike on a vessel operating in the Eastern Pacific, killing three men suspected of narcotics smuggling.

According to a statement issued by U.S. Southern Command, Joint Task Force Southern Spear launched the operation on November 15 at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The vessel was described as being operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization and traveling along a known narco-trafficking route in international waters.

Intelligence officials determined the craft was carrying narcotics at the time of the operation, SOUTHCOM said. The strike resulted in the deaths of three male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel.

The agency said the interdiction was part of continuing efforts to disrupt transnational criminal networks operating throughout the region.