The US military confirmed it conducted an airstrike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, accusing it of transporting illegal drugs. The attack occurred Thursday and is the latest move in a series of operations targeting vessels near US territory, according to a statement from the Trump administration.
The US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) posted on social media that it had carried out 'a kinetic strike on a vessel operated by designated terrorist organizations.' The command stated: 'Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting well-known drug smuggling routes in the eastern Pacific and was engaged in illicit drug trafficking. Three male narco-terrorists were killed in this action.'
Along with the statement, the US military released an unclassified video that appears to show a speed boat being hit by a missile and erupting in flames. Washington said the strike targeted an unspecified drug-laden vessel en route from Latin America to the United States.
According to statistics, at least 211 people have been killed in similar airstrikes in the Pacific to date. President Trump has declared that the US is in an 'armed conflict' with Latin American drug cartels, and his administration seeks to stem the flow of narcotics.
However, the Trump administration has not provided specific evidence linking all those killed to drug smuggling. Critics argue that the US military may have mistakenly attacked local fishermen unaffiliated with the cartels. Critics, including US politicians and human rights organizations, have repeatedly questioned the legality of these strikes.
On Thursday, US senators demanded the Pentagon release 'unredacted' videos of the vessel airstrikes. The first such strike in September drew particular attention from lawmakers after the military confirmed it had used a 'double-tap' method, killing two survivors of the initial attack, bringing the total death toll to 11. The Trump administration maintains the second strike was for 'self-defense,' but critics argue it was illegal to kill those who had already survived.
