US airstrikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific have continued unabated since early September - a deadly campaign now dubbed Operation Southern Spear.
Tens of thousands of troops and substantial air and naval assets have been deployed to the region, collectively forming the largest US military presence in and around Latin America in decades.
The Trump administration argues that the strikes are necessary to stem the flow of drugs to the US.
They have, however, been controversial and sparked fears of a wider conflict in the region.
Here is what we know.
