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US Military Strike Kills Three on Suspected Drug Vessel in Eastern Pacific
The U.S. military conducted a strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing three individuals described as suspected narco-terrorists. The operation, directed by U.S. Southern Command, targeted a boat allegedly involved in drug trafficking. This follows similar strikes in recent days amid ongoing counter-narcotics efforts.
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The U.S. military carried out a strike on Tuesday against a vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in the deaths of three people. U.S. Southern Command announced the action on social media, stating that intelligence confirmed the boat was operating along known narco-trafficking routes and engaged in such activities.
No U.S. forces were harmed in the operation. The strike was conducted by Joint Task Force Southern Spear under the direction of Commander General Francis L. Donovan. Southern Command described the deceased as male narco-terrorists but provided no further details or evidence about their identities or the vessel's operations.
The command alleged the boat was operated by designated terrorist organizations, though it did not specify which ones.
This incident follows a similar strike on Monday in the Caribbean Sea, where two people were killed on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel. Earlier, on April 24, another operation in the Eastern Pacific resulted in two deaths. A strike in the Caribbean less than a week before that killed three individuals.
Sources agree on the basic facts of Tuesday's strike, including the location and the number of fatalities. However, they differ in framing: some reports highlight the U.S. description of the targets as narco-terrorists, while others note criticism from rights groups questioning the legality and evidence.
The Trump administration has intensified these operations in recent weeks as part of a campaign against what it terms narcoterrorism, even amid other global conflicts such as the war in Iran. More than 190 people have been killed in such strikes since September, according to one report.
Rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have labeled these actions as potential extrajudicial killings, arguing that the U.S. has not provided definitive evidence of the vessels' involvement in drug trafficking. The American Civil Liberties Union has described the administration's assertions as unsubstantiated.
