Tomi McCluskey

Earlier this month, the US Coast Guard provided an update on their enforcement/interdiction efforts in the Eastern Pacific:

- 100,000+ pounds of cocaine seized
- 86 individuals apprehended
- 34 interdictions conducted

0️⃣ lethals strikes.

www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releas...

A New York Time sourced added that the strike occurred off of Colombia's Pacific coast, marking a significant expansion in the campaign.

Source: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/u...

Announcment made by US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth:

Source:
x.com/SecWar/statu...

⚠️ The US today released footage of an Oct 21st vessel strike off Colombia's Pacific coast that killed two suspected narcotics traffickers linked to an unspecified designated terrorist organization - the first Eastern Pacific strike and the 8th lethal strike since Sept 2.

34 reported killed to date.

YouTube video by Koninklijke Marine CSS Den Helder meets Den Helder ⚓ | Koninklijke Marine

Want to see it in action?

Official video from Koninklijke Marine (Royal Netherlands Navy)

Dutch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=75Gq...

English: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXQ7...

Dutch navy commissions HNLMS Den Helder | SWZ|Maritime On 1 October, the Royal Netherlands Navy officially commissioned the Combat Support Ship (CSS) Den Helder, which means it now has the designation HNLMS.

"As a supply ship, HNLMS Den Helder provides other vessels at sea with fuel, ammunition, food, and spare parts.

This reduces the need for national and international naval ships to interrupt operations.

The vessel is also equipped with extensive medical facilities"

swzmaritime.nl/news/2025/10...

⚓ Cool Ship of the Day 🇳🇱

Recently commissioned Dutch combat support ship, HNLMS Den Helder, photographed in Curaçao for warm-water tests.

Vessels like this give smaller navies the ability to operate independently without relying entirely on larger allies.

www.defensie.nl/actueel/nieu...

So I'm minding my own business, researching a vessel of interest, pulling up some US OFAC sanctions data on Treasury.gov and I noticed this banner.

When did this get added?

Page I was on:
home.treasury.gov/news/press-r...

Correction: FALCON is an LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) Tanker

EU Naval Forces Operation ASPIDES:

Oil Tanker MV Falcon remains adrift and burning in the Gulf of Aden. 24 crew members rescued to Djibouti, two missing.

Private company assumed salvage operations.

UKMTO unable to confirm incident source/cause at this time.

www.eeas.europa.eu/eunavfor-asp...

National Liberation Army (ELN) The ELN is the last real guerrilla force in Latin America and has transitioned into a real transnational threat in Colombia and Venezuela.

Hegseth says the vessel was affiliated with ELN, a Colombian guerrilla organization—the first disclosed strike involving this group. ELN is designated a terrorist organization by the US.

Context from Insight Crime:

insightcrime.org/colombia-org...

US Secretary of Defense shares video claiming to show a Friday, October 17th vessel strike—not previously disclosed. Would be the third strike in one week, seventh overall by US count, with 32 claimed killed across all strikes.

x.com/SecWar/statu...

Hey 🦋 Maritime OSINT community!

Let's roll out the red carpet for the Tanker Trackers crew. For the unfamiliar, their combined sanctions list is a gift to the community—they've been delivering solid work for years. tankertrackers.com/report/sanct...

More of them on Bluesky is a very good thing!

Timeline: U.S.-Colombia Relations This timeline looks at the close partnership between Washington and Bogota, which has at times been strained by U.S. intervention, Cold War geopolitics, and the war on drugs.

For more context on US-Colombia relations, check out this timeline from @cfr.org :

www.cfr.org/timeline/us-...

Presidential Determination on Major Drug Transit or Major Illicit Drug Producing Countries for Fiscal Year 2026 - United States Department of State The following is a Presidential Determination submitted to Congress today:   By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States; including section 706(1) ...

In September, a presidential determination designated Colombia as having failed demonstrably during the previous 12 months to adhere to its obligations under international counternarcotics agreements.

www.state.gov/releases/off...

Deepening rift between Colombian President Petro and US.

🟠 Petro alleges US vessel strike killed Colombian citizen, backed No Kings protests.

🟠 Trump calls Petro "drug leader," cuts aid.

The nations are traditionally close allies.

www.reuters.com/world/americ...

In just 10 weeks, US Coast Guard Operation Pacific Viper seized 100,000+ lbs cocaine through 34 interdictions in Eastern Pacific. 86 arrests, 1,600+ lbs/day average.

www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releas...

Security Alert: U.S. Embassy Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (October 18, 2025)

18 October - US Embassy shares security alert for Trinidad and Tobago:

---
Event: Due to a heightened state of alert, please avoid and refrain from visiting all U.S. Government facilities in Trinidad and Tobago through the holiday weekend.
---

Source: tt.usembassy.gov/security-ale...

🚨 US President shares footage from Thursday's (16 Oct) vessel strike that left two survivors, claims two fatalities.

Vessel described in post as a "very large submarine."

Source: truthsocial.com/@realDonaldT...

@covertshores.bsky.social
@mercoglianos.bsky.social

New York Times Reports:

US to repatriate two survivors from Thursday's lethal attack on suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the Caribbean - the sixth known attack of this sort - one from Colombia, the other from Ecuador

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/18/u...

Also has a spot on UANI's Ghost Armada list.

www.unitedagainstnucleariran.com/index.php/bl...

Well-known false-flagged vessel "FALCON" and frequent guest to the Baltics, reported to have suffered an explosion in the Gulf of Aden.

Well played, good sir.
Well played indeed.

Narco submarines are increasingly used by smuggling networks.

Follow @covertshores.bsky.social for regular coverage on these vessels.

www.hisutton.com/Fully-Submer...

17 October - responding to question about 16 October attack that left survivors

Rubio: They were narcoterrorists. We'll have more to say later.
Trump: It was a submarine.

Source: x.com/StateDept/st...

Reuter's first article on the strike:

www.reuters.com/world/us/us-...

Reuters scoop via @phildstewart on X/TW:

Two survivors from the 16 Oct US vessel strike were rescued by helicopter and are currently aboard a US Navy vessel.

Great example of seafarers' duty to render aid in a complicated context.

@mercoglianos.bsky.social

www.reuters.com/world/us/us-...

16 Oct - Reuters reports US conducted second vessel strike this week, survivors reported.

www.reuters.com/world/us/us-...

Trinidad & Tobago - Local media reports two of the six killed in Tuesday's US vessel strike were T&T citizens.

www.guardian.co.tt/news/2-trini...

At least one US military strike on alleged drug trafficking boat in Caribbean targeted Colombians | CNN Politics At least one US military strike in the Caribbean over the last two months targeted Colombian nationals on a boat that had left from Colombia, according to two people briefed by the Pentagon about the ...

Sources tell CNN:

On September 19th, the US military targeted a vessel leaving Colombia suspected of carrying terrorists—without being able to identify who was actually on board.

www.cnn.com/2025/10/15/p...