The US military confirmed Sunday that three men died when it struck a vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, marking another escalation in a months-long campaign targeting suspected drug trafficking operations.
Video released by the military showed the boat racing across open water before detonating in flames. The US Southern Command characterized the vessel as one "operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations" and said intelligence indicated it was moving along known narco-trafficking routes.
The strike represents the latest in a series of similar attacks launched since September. According to tallies compiled by Agence France-Presse, the cumulative death toll from these operations now stands at 185.
The campaign has drawn scrutiny from legal experts and human rights organizations, who argue that many strikes may constitute extrajudicial killings targeting individuals who pose no immediate threat to American personnel. The Trump administration has not released definitive evidence connecting most of the struck vessels to drug trafficking activities, fueling debate over the legal justification for the operations.
President Trump has framed the military actions as responses to what he calls an "armed conflict" with cartels across Latin America. Officials cite the escalating drug flow into the United States as grounds for the expanded military presence, which represents the largest deployment to the region in generations.
The boat attacks began last year as the US expanded its military footprint in the hemisphere. The campaign preceded a January raid that resulted in the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was transported to New York and charged with drug trafficking. Maduro has pleaded not guilty.
No American military personnel were injured in Sunday's operation, according to statements posted by officials.
Author James Rodriguez: "The military won't show its evidence, the death toll keeps climbing, and suddenly we're supposed to call this a legitimate war on drugs rather than what critics plainly see: a risky gambit with mounting civilian casualties."
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