The U.S. military conducted a strike on Sunday that killed six men aboard an alleged drug-smuggling vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, according to multiple reports. This attack brings the death toll to at least 157 since early September when President Donald Trump's administration began targeting small vessels it identifies as 'narco-terrorists.'
Key Takeaways
The U.S. military killed six men in a strike on an alleged drug-smuggling vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, raising the death toll to at least 157 since early September when targeting small vessels began.
- The latest attack targeted alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes
- No evidence was provided that the vessel carried drugs
- This is part of an ongoing campaign against 'narco-terrorists' in Latin America
- President Trump has characterized these actions as an armed conflict with cartels
U.S. Southern Command stated that the strike targeted alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes but did not provide evidence that the vessel was carrying drugs. A video posted on X by General Francis Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, showed a small boat being blown up as it floated on the water.
President Trump has characterized these actions as an 'armed conflict' with cartels in Latin America, justifying the attacks as necessary to curb drug flows into the United States. During a meeting with Latin American leaders on Saturday, Trump urged them to join U.S. military actions against drug-trafficking cartels and transnational gangs, which he described as posing an 'unacceptable threat' to regional security.
Critics have raised questions about both the legality and effectiveness of these boat strikes. They point out that most fentanyl overdoses in the U.S. involve drugs trafficked over land from Mexico, where production relies on chemicals imported from China and India. The strikes have faced additional scrutiny after it was revealed that survivors of an initial boat attack were killed in a follow-up strike.
According to Fox News, this was the 45th strike since the U.S. began targeting boats in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific in early September. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said last week that Operation Southern Spear has restored deterrence against narco-terrorist cartels.
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