A U.S. military strike against a boat accused of drug smuggling in the eastern Pacific Ocean kills either two or three people and leaves survivors, according to multiple reports. The outlets describe the incident as part of an ongoing U.S. campaign targeting alleged traffickers in Latin America, including attacks carried out on or around Thursday and earlier strikes in the region. The reports also say the total number of people killed in U.S. boat strikes since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” in early September is above 210.
In one account, the strike immediately kills two people and leaves six survivors, while it is unclear whether those survivors are rescued. That report adds that U.S. authorities notify the U.S. Coast Guard. Another account places the death toll from the Thursday strike at three. U.S. military statements cited by reports indicate the vessel is targeted along known smuggling routes, though the military does not provide evidence publicly that the boat is ferrying drugs.
Critics cited across coverage question the legality and effectiveness of the strikes, including claims that fentanyl is often trafficked over land rather than primarily by sea.
