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U.S. Military Strikes Alleged Drug Vessel in Eastern Pacific, Three Dead
The U.S. military announced a strike on Friday in the eastern Pacific against an alleged drug trafficking vessel, resulting in three fatalities.
According to U.S. Southern Command, the operation targeted a boat operating along a known drug trafficking route. “Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” the military stated.
This incident follows a series of similar actions earlier in the week, where U.S. Southern Command reported striking three boats on Monday in the Pacific and Caribbean, leading to the deaths of 11 individuals.
Since September, the U.S. military has conducted numerous strikes against vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, alleging their involvement in drug trafficking. These operations have drawn criticism from some members of Congress who question their legal basis.
Prior to Friday’s strike, Department of Defense statements tracked by NBC News indicated at least 41 boat strikes, resulting in a minimum of 134 deaths.
The Trump administration has asserted that these strikes target “designated terrorist organizations” engaged in drug smuggling. However, the military has not publicly provided evidence to substantiate its claims regarding the vessels, their occupants, cargo, or the exact number of casualties.
In January, the U.S. government faced its first wrongful death lawsuit related to these military strikes. Family members of two Trinidadian men, killed in an October strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat, filed the suit, alleging extrajudicial killings.
The lawsuit claims the men were returning home from a fishing trip when their boat was hit. At the time, a Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on ongoing litigation.