The investigation focuses on Operation Southern Spear, a campaign launched by the administration of US President Donald Trump in September 2025 targeting boats Washington alleges are linked to narcotics trafficking networks operating from Latin America.

According to reports, the Pentagon review will examine whether the US military followed established operational and legal procedures under the Joint Targeting Cycle, the framework governing the planning and execution of military strikes.

“The scope of this evaluation includes the joint process for targeted vessels in the US Southern Command area of responsibility as part of Operation Southern Spear,” the Pentagon inspector general’s office said in a memorandum cited by Bloomberg.

The review will be conducted at the Pentagon and at the headquarters of United States Southern Command in Florida, according to the memorandum dated May 11.

The military campaign has drawn criticism from legal experts and human rights organizations, which argue the strikes may constitute extrajudicial killings because the targeted vessels allegedly did not pose an imminent threat to the United States.

Critics have also questioned whether the administration has provided sufficient evidence demonstrating that the vessels destroyed during the operations were actively involved in drug trafficking.
At least 192 people have reportedly been killed since the start of the operation, according to media accounts cited in the reports.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has defended the campaign, describing the operation as part of a broader war against what the administration terms “narco-terrorists.” Hegseth previously said the operation had been so aggressive that potential maritime targets had become increasingly difficult to locate.

The strikes represent a significant shift in US counter-narcotics strategy. Historically, American anti-drug operations in the region have focused on intercepting vessels, seizing narcotics shipments and arresting suspects rather than conducting lethal military attacks at sea.

The growing scrutiny comes as the Trump administration continues expanding military involvement in transnational security operations across Latin America and the Caribbean.

United States Southern Command released video footage on social media showing what appeared to be a vessel at sea moments before an explosion engulfed it in flames.The military said it immediately alerted the United States Coast Guard to begin search-and-rescue operations for the surviving individual.The strike marked the latest in a series of U.S. military operations targeting suspected drug-trafficking boats in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea since September

. According to Associated Press reporting, the campaign has resulted in at least 193 deaths. The Pentagon has repeatedly said the targeted vessels were operating along known drug-smuggling routes and linked to trafficking networks, though officials have not publicly presented evidence showing that the destroyed boats were carrying narcotics.

The operation came days after the White House announced that President Donald Trump had approved a revised U.S. counterterrorism strategy prioritizing the dismantling of drug cartels across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Trump has described cartels as an “unacceptable threat” to hemispheric security and has urged regional governments to intensify military cooperation with Washington against organized crime and transnational gangs.

The strikes have intensified in recent weeks despite growing scrutiny from legal scholars and human rights groups, who have questioned the legality of using military force against suspected traffickers outside conventional armed conflict zones.

Critics have argued the operations risk constituting extrajudicial killings because the U.S. government has disclosed limited evidence about the identities of those targeted or the intelligence underpinning the attacks.

The campaign has also coincided with a major expansion of U.S. military activity in Latin America and Caribbean waters, where the administration says it is attempting to curb narcotics flows into the United States and disrupt cartel financing networks.