According to the Washington Post, on January 3, US special forces extracted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from Venezuela as part of broader operations in Latin America.

On February 6, the US military struck a boat in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people. The attack was ordered by the commander of SOUTHCOM, General Francis Donovan, and carried out by Joint Task Force Southern Spear. As of that date, at least 38 such strikes had been conducted since September 2025, with a total of 128 deaths.

On February 14, a second strike in the Caribbean Sea killed three suspected drug smugglers, bringing the total death toll to at least 133.

On February 16, the US military carried out three strikes on vessels in the Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean, killing 11 alleged drug traffickers, bringing the total to at least 145.

On February 21, SOUTHCOM conducted another strike in the Eastern Pacific, killing three men, raising the total death toll to at least 148.

On March 18, Pentagon Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs John Humire stated that the strikes against drug boats were only the beginning, claiming that since August 2025 the US had deployed its largest military operation in the Caribbean and Pacific, had killed 157 suspected drug traffickers, and had reduced drug trafficking in the Caribbean by 30%.

By April 18, the US Navy had sunk over 50 drug boats since September 2025, killing at least 177 suspects, according to Deutsche Welle. The campaign faced growing criticism as possible extrajudicial killings, while the US administration defended the strikes as self-defense against cartels.

By late May, the campaign had killed at least 195 people and cost over $4.7 billion. Military officials and experts told The Independent that the strikes had not reduced drug flow and cocaine remained highly available and inexpensive.

On June 3, a strike in the Eastern Pacific killed two people. CBS News reported that a follow-up strike targeted survivors clinging to wreckage, drawing legal criticism. By that date, 62 strikes had been carried out, killing at least 207 people.

On June 16, a US strike in the Eastern Pacific killed one person and left two survivors. The total death toll reached at least 208.

On June 18, the US military struck another boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing three people. The total number of people killed since September rose to at least 211. Critics have questioned the legality and effectiveness of the campaign, and US senators have demanded unedited video.

On June 21, the US military conducted a further strike, killing ten people, raising the total to at least 221. It was the last such attack reported.

On July 27, a DEA assessment concluded that the airstrikes had failed to slow cocaine trafficking. Traffickers adapted by using larger boats and routes closer to coastlines, as well as planes, TRT World reported. Pentagon officials confirmed high cocaine purity levels indicating supply has not meaningfully declined. The Washington Post separately reported that the operation had attacked 67 vessels without reducing cocaine supply, and that the amount of cocaine in the country may have increased.