The United States military has killed at least three individuals in a strike on a suspected drug smuggling boat in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, according to Washington officials. The attack, which took place on Thursday, is part of an ongoing campaign against 'narco-terrorists' operating in the region.
The US Southern Command stated in a social media post that it conducted a 'lethal kinetic strike' on a vessel believed to be transporting narcotics from Latin America to the US. Intelligence indicated the boat was traveling along known drug trafficking routes.
'Three male narco-terrorists were killed during this action,' the command added, releasing an unclassified video showing a missile striking a speeding boat, which erupted in flames.
This incident raises the total number of deaths from such strikes in the Pacific to at least 211. President Donald Trump has framed these operations as part of an 'armed conflict' with Latin American drug cartels, aiming to stem the flow of illegal drugs.
However, critics question the legality and transparency of these strikes. Some accuse the US of targeting local fishermen with no proven cartel ties, and US politicians have demanded the Pentagon release unedited footage of the attacks. The first strike in September drew particular scrutiny after a 'double-tap' approach killed two survivors, an act the administration defended as self-defense but critics deem illegal.