Tension is rising across the Caribbean Sea after reports emerged that an explosion in waters between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Saint Lucia on Friday, 13 February, resulted in deaths at sea.
Prime Minister Philip J Pierre, on Monday, February 16th, during a press briefing, confirmed that people lost their lives, but said official details surrounding the incident remain limited.
“I can confirm that people lost their lives under the circumstances,” the Prime Minister said. “I’ve got no official notification on the circumstances surrounding their death.”
He added that the matter has been examined by the responsible investigative authorities.
While the precise cause of the explosion between the two islands is still being clarified, it comes amid a broader pattern of U.S. military strikes on vessels in Caribbean waters accused of drug trafficking. U.S. authorities have publicly acknowledged conducting a series of “lethal kinetic strikes” on suspected drug‑running boats in the region.
The Associated Press reports that the most recent strike reported by U.S. Southern Command on 13 February involved a vessel alleged to be engaged in narco‑trafficking and resulted in three deaths, with no U.S. military personnel harmed, according to official posts on social media platforms by the Southern Command.
These operations are part of Operation Southern Spear, a campaign the United States says is aimed at disrupting drug trafficking routes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.
U.S. military statements described intelligence indicating targeted vessels were transiting along known narcotics routes and were “engaged in narco‑trafficking operations.”
At this stage, Prime Minister Pierre says Saint Lucia’s government continues to gather information on the reported explosion and loss of life. Officials have not publicly confirmed whether the incident was related to any external military action, and investigations are ongoing.
The public awaits further updates as authorities work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the tragedy.