Fact-check · Nov 10, 2026 · Pete Hegseth
“218 narco terrorists dead”
MOSTLY TRUE
What the record shows
SOUTHCOM reported 223-227 narco-terrorists killed as of late August-September 2026 in Operation Southern Spear; 218 represents an earlier cumulative figure from the campaign.
The 218 figure aligns with SOUTHCOM's reported totals from the counternarcotics campaign, though more recent official statements cite 223-227 killed.
Sources
- US military launches first known drug boat strike in months, killing 2 ‘narco-terrorists’
- US military launches first known drug boat strike in months, killing 2 ‘narco-terrorists’
- US military boards, searches and sinks vessel allegedly supporting Los Choneros narco-terrorists
- SOUTHCOM kills 4 in Caribbean as total narco strike toll hits 227
- US Military Says 5 Suspected Narco-Terrorists Killed in Pacific Strike
- Trump’s ‘narco-terrorism’ war in Latin America evokes Reagan
From: LIVE: Pete Hegseth Holds Pentagon Press Briefing As Impeachment Effort Against Him Intensifies
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