U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said Tuesday that the U.S. military carried out a lethal strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing three suspected narco-terrorists.

The strike, which was conducted by Joint Task Force Southern Spear at the direction of Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, targeted a vessel that was operating along known narco-trafficking corridors and engaged in narco-trafficking activity. 

No U.S. service members were injured in the operation, according to SOUTHCOM.

«Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,» the command wrote on X. «Three male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed.»

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SOUTHCOM did not immediately release further information about those killed.

The U.S. military has carried out numerous strikes in recent months on suspected drug-smuggling vessels as part of a broader campaign to dismantle cartel-linked trafficking operations.

The announcement comes a day after SOUTHCOM said it conducted a similar strike in the Caribbean on Monday, killing two suspected drug traffickers.

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The strike, which was conducted by Joint Task Force Southern Spear at the direction of Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, targeted a vessel that was operating along known narco-trafficking corridors and engaged in narco-trafficking activity.  (@Southcom via X)

Earlier, on April 24, SOUTHCOM carried out a lethal strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing two suspected narco-terrorists.

That strike followed less than a week after SOUTHCOM said it conducted an operation in the Caribbean, killing three suspected narco-terrorists.

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No U.S. service members were injured in the operation, according to SOUTHCOM. (@Southcom via X)

SOUTHCOM is responsible for military operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean, including counter-narcotics missions aimed at disrupting drug trafficking networks that threaten U.S. interests.

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The Eastern Pacific remains a key corridor for narcotics trafficking, with cartels often using small, fast-moving vessels to transport drugs toward the U.S. and Central America.

Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz, Michael Sinkewicz, Alex Nitzberg and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., refused to respond to a request from a Minnesota committee seeking more information on her ties to the massive fraud scandal in the state, prompting a failed subpoena vote on Tuesday, but the committee’s chair says more options exist. 

The subpoena, which required a two-thirds committee vote in favor to pass, only got five out of the six votes needed despite the committee’s Republican majority.

«We have reached out to Representative Ilhan Omar on multiple occasions, inviting her to testify and inviting and requesting documents,» State Rep. Kristin Robbins, chair of the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee, said ahead of the vote. «We have endeavored in multiple ways to get access to [information] because, as everyone knows, Representative Omar had had some role, whether inadvertent or not. She passed the MEALS Act in March of 2020, and that took the guardrails off the federal school nutrition program, which created the conditions for [fraud].»

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«I do think the subpoena is important. This is one of dozens, if not hundreds of things we are investigating. We have had hundreds of whistleblower reports. They continue to come in weekly,» Robbins added, noting she will continue to try to reach out to Omar’s office to get cooperation. «Even though the committee will no longer have official hearings we will continue to investigate these whistleblower reports and webs of fraud.»

Fox News Digital touched base with Robbins on Tuesday about possible next steps.

«They’re fading,» Robbins said about the committee’s options after a failed subpoena vote. «But I’ll certainly talk to our friends in Congress to see if they would be willing to issue a subpoena. I don’t know if they are, but they would have the same authority and it’s still relevant to them because it’s a federal program that’s been swindled. So I don’t know if they would be willing to do it, but it’s worth asking.»

Robbins added that the federal government has a «whole menu of legal options» given that Omar is a member of Congress. 

«They have so many investigations going on, I don’t know where this falls on the priority list,» Robbins said.

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Minnesota State Rep. Kristin Robbins (L) delivers an opening statement as she testifies alongside Minnesota State Rep. Walter Hudson during a hearing before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee about the Trump Administration’s decision to freeze $10 billion in child care funds for families with low incomes in California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York at the U.S. Capitol on January 07, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Last month, Robbins says the congresswoman «ghosted» the committee by failing to appear to testify at a hearing focused on the MEALS Act, a federal COVID-19 relief measure passed in 2020 and sponsored by Omar. 

«Minnesotans and the Members of the House Fraud Prevention & State Oversight Committee were disappointed that you failed to appear before our committee to answer questions,» Robbins wrote before asking Omar to turn over communications showing how she promoted expanded access to federal child nutrition programs, including emails, texts and meeting records with the Minnesota Department of Education and constituents. 

The request also zeroed in on Omar’s public promotion of a Minneapolis restaurant that later became linked to the program. Robbins cited a Somali-language TV appearance in which Omar highlighted Safari Restaurant as a meal distribution site and asked for all communications related to the video and the restaurant’s participation.

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Robbins is seeking records of any contact between Omar and a long list of individuals charged or implicated in the Feeding Our Future case, including nonprofit founder Aimee Bock and dozens of alleged co-conspirators.

The deadline for Omar to respond to the committee’s questions was Tuesday, May 5.

Rep. Ilhan Omar speaks at Karmel Mall in Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan. 28, 2026. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached out to Omar’s office for comment. 

«It’s the same story every time,» Robbins posted on X after the vote. «Fraud is committed, information is suppressed, and the dysfunction continues.»

Authorities in South Africa carried out a high-risk recovery operation over the weekend, airlifting a massive crocodile suspected of eating a local resident.

The operation followed last month’s disappearance of a 59-year-old businessman from Gauteng, South African Police Service (SAPS) said. Local media Smile FM identified him as Gabriel Batista, the owner of the Border Country Inn located a short drive from the river.

A specialized task force eventually tracked down the reptile Saturday along the Komati River, where it was euthanized and removed from the area, officials reported. Upon examination, they said human remains were discovered in its digestive system.

The operation was also captured on camera and has since spread widely on social media, showing personnel hoisting the massive crocodile from the water by helicopter.

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According to the police, the local businessman went missing late last month after his Ford Ranger became stranded at a flooded low-lying river crossing near crocodile-infested waters.

State media SABCNews reported that the vehicle was swept away as he attempted to cross the bridge.

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Following a weeklong search, the team reportedly identified a large crocodile nearby that they believed may have attacked and consumed the victim. 

According to officials who monitored the reptile for several days, the reptile appeared to show signs it had recently fed, including prolonged periods of inactivity, South African outlet ENCA said.

A massive crocodile was spotted near a river in South Africa. (Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Mpumalanga Provincial Office)

«During the search, we saw that this particular crocodile was only about 150 meters away from where the person had washed off the bridge. This crocodile stayed there the whole time. When the helicopter went over it, it wouldn’t move away,» SAPS Captain Johan «Pottie» Potgieter said.

«We know from experience that if crocodiles have had a big meal, they’re not very active, and need to lie in the sun for their digestive system to start working.»

After authorities euthanized the animal with the necessary permissions, Potgieter operated under «extremely dangerous conditions,» being lowered from a helicopter into crocodile-infested waters. 

It was then secured with a rope, hoisted from the water, and airlifted away, SAPS said.

Authorities used a helicopter to transport a massive crocodile from a river in South Africa. (Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Mpumalanga Provincial Office)

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During the examination, officials reportedly discovered human remains, as well as six pairs of sandals inside the animal’s stomach, SABC News reported.

The remains have been submitted for DNA testing to confirm the victim’s identity. 

It remains unclear whether the shoes are linked to any missing residents or villagers in the area.