The U.S. military said a strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific killed three men.
U.S. Southern Command alleged the boat was involved in drug trafficking and linked to a designated terrorist organisation, but provided no evidence.
US Strike on Suspected Drug-Smuggling Boat Kills Three, Death Toll Reaches 205
The attack was the fourth announced this week as part of a broader anti-narcotics campaign launched in September.
Summary
The US military said it carried out another strike on Saturday against a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three men. The attack was the fourth such strike announced this week, bringing the total reported death toll to 205.
In a statement, U.S. Southern Command said the vessel was “engaged in narco-trafficking operations” and operated by a designated terrorist organization. However, it did not provide evidence to support the allegation.
The strike is the latest in a months-long military campaign targeting vessels suspected of transporting drugs across the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific.
Footage released by the military on social media showed a small boat floating in the ocean before being struck and engulfed in a fireball.
According to US Southern Command, the latest operation follows other strikes announced on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Since the campaign began in early September, the cumulative death toll from the attacks has reached 205.
The Trump administration has maintained that the United States is engaged in an armed conflict with Latin American drug cartels, arguing that the groups are responsible for the flow of narcotics into American communities.
US Southern Command said on X that the strike was conducted at the direction of Gen. Francis L. Donovan, the senior US military commander overseeing operations in Latin America.
(with inputs from AP)
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