The U.S. military conducted another strike against a suspected drug smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Thursday, killing two people and leaving six survivors. This attack, part of an ongoing campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America, brings the total number of people killed in such strikes to more than 210 since the Trump administration began targeting what it calls "narcoterrorists" in early September.
Details of the Strike
It remains unclear if the survivors of this strike were rescued. In this case, as with a previous strike on June 16 that left two survivors, U.S. Central Command said it notified the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard reported suspending its search for survivors from the June 16 strike a day later with "no signs of survivors or debris," but had no comment on the current strike.
As with most military statements on strikes in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea, U.S. Southern Command said it targeted alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was carrying drugs. A black-and-white video posted on X showed a boat speeding through water before being struck by a visible projectile and bursting into flames.
Context and Criticism
President Donald Trump has stated the U.S. is in "armed conflict" with cartels in Latin America, justifying the attacks as necessary to stem drug flow and fatal overdoses. However, his administration has offered little evidence to support claims of killing "narcoterrorists." Critics question the strikes' legality and effectiveness, noting that fentanyl, a major cause of U.S. overdoses, is typically trafficked overland from Mexico using chemicals from China and India.
On Thursday, U.S. lawmakers demanded the Pentagon release "unedited video" of the first strike after reports emerged that the U.S. conducted a follow-up strike on survivors. Two men who initially survived that attack, which killed nine others, were clinging to wreckage when struck again, killing them. The White House confirmed the follow-up strike, insisting it was done "in self-defense" to ensure the boat was destroyed and in accordance with the laws of armed conflict. Some legal scholars argue a second strike killing survivors would be illegal under any circumstance.
Ongoing Review
The Pentagon's watchdog said in May it planned to investigate whether the military followed an established targeting framework when carrying out strikes. However, the evaluation focuses on the six-phase Joint Targeting Cycle, not the strikes' legality, according to the inspector general's office.
