US Military Strikes Drug Trafficking Vessel in Pacific

The United States military targeted a vessel suspected of drug trafficking in the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of two men. This action comes as part of President Trump’s campaign against drug trafficking in Latin America. This latest strike brings the total number of deaths in military actions against vessels to at least 207 since the White House began its campaign against alleged ‘narcoterrorists’ in early September.

As with previous announcements about similar strikes in the Pacific and the Caribbean Sea, the US Southern Command stated it fired upon suspected drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. However, they did not provide evidence that the vessel was transporting drugs. A video posted on platform X showed a speedboat exploding into flames.

Trump has described the situation as an ‘armed conflict’ with Latin American cartels, justifying these attacks as necessary to curb the flow of drugs into the US and the overdoses that claim thousands of American lives each year. Despite these claims, his administration has offered limited evidence that it is targeting true ‘narcoterrorists.’

Critics have questioned the overall legality and effectiveness of these strikes. They note that fentanyl, a drug responsible for many fatal overdoses, often enters the US via land from Mexico, where it’s produced using chemicals from China and India. The attacks have faced intense scrutiny from some Democratic lawmakers and military law experts.

The first strike, which occurred in early September, raised particular concern. Two men survived the initial attack that killed nine others. As they clung to the boat’s remains, a second strike was carried out, which took their lives. The White House confirmed this follow-up attack, claiming it was self-defense to ensure the vessel’s destruction and in accordance with the laws of armed conflict. However, some experts stated a second attack against survivors would be illegal under any circumstances, armed conflict or not.

In May, the Pentagon’s oversight body announced an investigation into whether US forces adhered to an established target selection framework during these attacks. This evaluation focuses specifically on the six phases known as the Joint Targeting Cycle, not on the legality of the attacks, according to the inspector general’s office.

This story has been translated from English by an AP editor with the help of a generative artificial intelligence tool.