US Military Claims Two Killed in Latest Pacific Drug Boat Attack
Quick Look
- The US military reported killing at least two people in an attack on a suspected drug trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific.
- This latest strike, part of Operation Southern Spear, brings the total vessels hit to over 60 and deaths to over 210 since September.
- Critics question the campaign's legality and effectiveness.
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Why It Matters
The US military has conducted over 60 attacks on suspected drug trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific since September, resulting in over 210 deaths. Critics question the legality and effectiveness of these operations.
The United States military says it has carried out another attack on an alleged drug trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing at least two people.
The attack on Sunday brings the total number of vessels hit to more than 60, with more than 210 people killed, since the US began its operation dubbed “Southern Spear” in September.
US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said in a post on X on Monday that the boat was operating along a known drug-smuggling route but provided no evidence that it was carrying narcotics.
SOUTHCOM said it notified the US Coast Guard about the “six male survivors” without providing details of their rescue or condition.
Grainy black-and-white video footage accompanying the post showed a boat moving through the water before being struck with a projectile and engulfed in a large explosion.
In a similar incident on June 16, US Central Command said it had notified the US Coast Guard after two survivors were reported. The Coast Guard later suspended its search, stating there were “no signs of survivors or debris”.
President Donald Trump has described the US as being in an “armed conflict” with Latin American cartels, calling the attacks necessary to curb drug overdoses in the US. Critics have questioned the legal basis and effectiveness of the campaign, with some noting that most fentanyl reaching the US is smuggled overland from Mexico.
On Thursday, US lawmakers demanded that the Pentagon release “unedited video” of the very first strike that the military conducted after reports emerged that the US chose to conduct a follow-up strike on survivors of its initial attack.
Two men on the boat initially survived the attack that killed nine others, and they were clinging to the wreckage when the vessel was struck again, killing them. The White House confirmed the follow-up strike, insisting it was done “in self-defence” to ensure the boat was destroyed and in accordance with the laws of armed conflict.
But some legal scholars said a second strike killing survivors would have been illegal under any circumstance, armed conflict or not.
The Pentagon’s inspector general said in May it would review whether the military followed its standard targeting procedures, but that the evaluation would not examine the legality of the strikes.
Open Questions
- What evidence links the targeted boats to narcotics?
- What is the legal basis for the second strike on survivors?
- Will the Pentagon release unedited video of the first strike?
