The US military killed two people and left a third survivor in its latest strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific, bringing the total fatalities from similar operations to at least 130
The US military said on Monday that it killed two people in its latest strike against an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific. The attack formed part of a broader campaign targeting vessels that the military described as operating on established narcotics routes, according to a statement by US Southern Command.
“Two narco-terrorists were killed and one survived the strike,” the command said in a post on the social media platform X, adding that the
US Coast Guard had been informed to activate search and rescue operations for the survivor.
Long-running campaign targeting smuggling vessels
The strike was the latest in a series of lethal actions that began in early September under the administration of
Donald Trump, which has characterised its operations as part of a broader effort against alleged “narco-terrorists” operating out of Venezuela. These boat strikes have expanded from the Caribbean to the eastern Pacific and brought the total number of people killed in such attacks to at least 130 across 38 reported operations.
Administration officials have not provided definitive public evidence linking the targeted boats to drug trafficking, and this lack of transparency has fuelled debate about the legality of the campaign. Critics have questioned whether the military has sufficient proof that the vessels were involved in smuggling.
Last month, the relatives of two Trinidadian men who died in an October strike filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the US government, alleging the action was wrongful. That legal case has raised further questions about the campaign’s justification under international and domestic law.
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