WASHINGTON: The United States (US) military strike has carried out another strike on a vessel suspected of drug-smuggling in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three people as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing campaign against what it describes as “narcoterrorists” operating in Latin America.
According to the US Southern Command, the vessel was targeted along a known drug-smuggling route in the eastern Pacific. The military said the operation was directed against suspected traffickers but did not provide public evidence that the boat was carrying illegal narcotics at the time of the strike. A video released online showed the vessel speeding across the water before being hit and engulfed in flames.
The latest attack brings the reported death toll from US military strikes on suspected trafficking vessels to at least 211 since the campaign began in September 2025. The Trump administration has argued that the operations are necessary to disrupt drug cartels and reduce the flow of narcotics into the United States.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly described the effort as part of an “armed conflict” against Latin American cartels, saying stronger action is needed to combat drug trafficking and overdose deaths.
However, the campaign has faced growing criticism from lawmakers, legal experts and human rights advocates. Critics have questioned both the legality and effectiveness of the strikes, noting that the US government has often released limited evidence linking targeted vessels directly to drug smuggling operations.
Several US senators have called on the Pentagon to release unedited footage of the attacks, while the Pentagon’s inspector general is reviewing whether military targeting procedures were properly followed during the operations. The review does not currently examine the legality of the strikes themselves.