The US military killed four people during a strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, marking the fourth lethal attack on boats in the region within four days, according to Al Jazeera.
US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced the operation via a social media post. The announcement included video footage showing a missile hitting a stationary boat equipped with outboard engines, causing a massive explosion.
SOUTHCOM officials described the deceased as "narco-terrorists," though the command provided no evidence to support that classification. The military justified the strike using intelligence—the details of which were not released—claiming the vessel was "transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations."
Rising death toll
This latest incident brings the total death toll from US strikes in international waters to at least 175 since September. That period follows an order from President Donald Trump to launch attacks against Latin American cartels suspected of transporting drugs to the United States.
Tuesday's killings follow a series of recent strikes. Two people died in a US strike on Monday, and five others were killed in two separate attacks on Saturday in the eastern Pacific, Al Jazeera reported.
The Associated Press noted that the US Coast Guard has suspended its search for one survivor from the Saturday attacks.
Legal experts and human rights groups have criticized the campaign, stating the military actions amount to "extrajudicial killings" in international waters. Some experts argue that even if vessels are involved in drug trafficking, the individuals on board should face legal prosecution rather than lethal force.
Critics also question the effectiveness of the operation. Many of the fentanyl-related overdoses in the US occur due to drugs trafficked over land from Mexico, where production relies on chemicals imported from China and India, according to the report.
