US military strike on suspected drug-smuggling vessel kills 3 in Eastern Pacific

The US military has carried out a fresh strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three men, according to the US Southern Command. The latest attack comes as the Pentagon faces growing scrutiny over the legality and conduct of its anti-narcotics operations in the region. In a statement posted on X on Friday (May 29), US Southern Command said the strike was conducted on May 29 under the direction of General Francis L. Donovan, commander of the military unit responsible for operations in Latin America and the Caribbean.

"Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organisations," the command said. It added that intelligence had confirmed the vessel was travelling along known drug-trafficking routes in the eastern Pacific and was engaged in narcotics smuggling activities. The military, however, did not provide evidence to support its claims that the boat was involved in drug trafficking or that it was operated by a designated terrorist organisation.

The latest operation is part of a months-long campaign targeting suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific. According to US Defence Department estimates, Southern Command has attacked nearly 60 small boats since the campaign began last year, resulting in the deaths of 193 people before the latest strike. The three deaths reported on Friday take the overall toll to more than 200. The operation has drawn increasing criticism from legal experts and human rights advocates, who have questioned the basis for the strikes and the intelligence used to identify targets.