The US military has carried out another strike on a vessel suspected of being used for drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific, the US Southern Command said.
“Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was traveling on known drug smuggling routes in the eastern Pacific and was being used for drug trafficking“, the command said.
One person was killed in the strike, and two survived. The Southern Command has notified the Coast Guard to activate its search and rescue system.
No U.S. service members were injured.
At least 194 people have been killed in U.S. military strikes on suspected drug trafficking boats in international waters. The figures include both those killed in the attacks and those missing at sea, presumed dead after unsuccessful search operations.
The large-scale military campaign, known as Operation Southern Spear, has been underway by the administration of President Donald Trump since early September last year. It targets small vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
At least 59 boats and ships have been destroyed. The White House classified the dead as “unlawful combatants”, arguing that the United States is in a state of “armed conflict” with Latin American drug cartels. So far, the Pentagon and the US Southern Command have not publicly presented evidence that the stricken vessels were actually transporting drugs, nor have they revealed the identities of the victims.
A small number of survivors (about 16-18 people) have been registered, some of whom have been handed over to local coast guards in Latin America or repatriated. The operation is causing serious debate among human rights activists, international experts and US congressmen, as it represents an unprecedented use of lethal military force against criminal suspects outside areas of traditional military conflict. The current internal Pentagon review is assessing the tactical execution of the strikes, but not their legality.