Marines Board Vessel as Helicopter Gunners Fire on Boat

U.S. Marines raced across open water in a small boat and climbed aboard a vessel during a maritime interdiction operation in the Pacific Ocean on September 5, newly released footage shows.

Footage released by the U.S. Marine Corps shows armed Marines crouched in a speeding boat as it pulls alongside a larger vessel, before they board it. Other clips filmed from a helicopter show a door gunner firing at a small boat that is left burning on the water, sending black smoke over the sea.

The Marines from Littoral Combat Force-24 carried out the operation with sailors from the amphibious transport dock USS San Antonio, the Marine Corps said.

U.S. forces have been deployed to the waters of Latin America under U.S. Southern Command in a campaign the military says aims to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland.