8 Mexicans killed in US attacks on 2 ‘drug boats’ off Pacific coast

Eight Mexicans were reportedly among those killed successful 3 abstracted strikes connected boats successful planetary waters by the U.S. subject past week.

Seven of the victims were said to beryllium from a sportfishing colony successful the occidental authorities of Nayarit, killed successful 2 abstracted strikes successful the Pacific Ocean.

Family members of the victims said they were notified of the deaths by unit from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, but national authorities had not confirmed the accusation publically arsenic of Sunday.

In a little connection issued connected Feb. 17, the U.S. Southern Command said a associated task unit had conducted “three lethal kinetic strikes” connected 3 vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations.

“Intelligence confirmed the vessels were transiting on known narco-trafficking routes and were engaged successful narco-trafficking operations,” it said, adding that 11 “terrorists” were killed by the action, “four connected the archetypal vas successful the Eastern Pacific, 4 connected the 2nd vas successful the Eastern Pacific and 3 connected the 3rd vas successful the Caribbean.”

Local media successful Nayarit reported that 8 of the victims were from the municipality of Bahía de Banderas, 7 of them from the colony of Cruz de Huanacaxtle. A ample fig of U.S. citizens reside successful Cruz de Huanacaxtle. 

Although immoderate publications called retired the U.S. subject for sidesplitting “innocent fishermen” and slammed the Mexican authorities for not publically criticizing the attacks, different media implied that the victims were so progressive with cause trafficking.

The paper La Jornada reported that “locals said the young boatmen were carrying gasoline ‘and supplying you-know-who,’ portion the paper Reforma cited section sources claiming that the vessels successful which the victims were traveling “are linked to alleged transgression operators successful Nayarit.”

A household subordinate of 1 of the victims lamented that his comparative had “promised this was his past trip, and it truly was going to be.”

This onslaught connected a vessel *that wasn’t adjacent moving* was the 40th since September 2. We number 149 dormant now, 22 of them successful the archetypal 20 days of February.

See https://t.co/j9jfLvdnsd https://t.co/6A2CQjUTat pic.twitter.com/XziQZJSMhQ

— Adam Isacson (@adam_wola) February 21, 2026

Reforma reported that the 2 boats belonged to Roberto Castellanos Meza, alias “Beto Bonques,” and Audias Flores Silva, “El Jardinero,” on with an alleged subordinate identified arsenic Raúl Morín, “La Fresa.”

The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control identified the “Bonques Brothers” arsenic members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) successful a November 2024 property release.

“El Jardinero” is seen arsenic a imaginable successor to CJNG brag Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, killed by the Mexican Army connected Sunday.

Mexican authorities partially dismantled a CJNG compartment operating successful Bahía de Banderas past year, portion connected Feb. 19, the U.S. Treasury announced it had sanctioned a timeshare fraud ringing led by the CJNG successful the aforesaid area. 

Cruz de Huanacaxtle is located astir 27 kilometers (17 miles) northwest of Puerto Vallarta, country of immoderate of Sunday’s worst violence.

With reports from La Jornada, Infobae, Sin Embargo, Reforma and The Guardian