The U.S. Department of Defense says a U.S. military strike on a suspected drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific kills three people, according to multiple reports. CBS News initially reports three deaths in the attack, while a later CBS update says the strike kills two men and leaves one survivor. Several outlets describe the operation as the latest in a continuing U.S. campaign targeting people the United States says are involved in drug smuggling at sea.
Sources also link the eastern Pacific strike to a prior U.S. strike in the Caribbean Sea reported to have occurred the day before, in which two people were killed. The New York Times characterizes the eastern Pacific operation as the second strike in two days and part of ongoing maritime enforcement actions.
Some reports reference video posted by U.S. Southern Command showing a boat-shaped image prior to an explosion and subsequent fire. Other coverage notes that questions about the legality of the strikes have been raised, though the specific claims are not detailed in the provided summaries. Overall, the reports consistently describe U.S. action against a vessel suspected of drug trafficking, with the main discrepancy being the reported number of fatalities.
