The United States military has launched a series of lethal strikes against vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in the deaths of at least five individuals, according to officials. These actions are part of ongoing efforts under the Trump administration's campaign against suspected drug traffickers.
On Friday, the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced it carried out two "lethal kinetic strikes" on separate vessels, following orders from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The strikes reportedly killed three people on one vessel and two on another. This operation follows a similar attack the previous day, which destroyed a vessel and resulted in four fatalities.
While US officials describe the victims as "male narco-terrorists," critics question the lack of concrete evidence linking the destroyed vessels to drug trafficking. Since September, nearly 30 vessels have been destroyed across the Pacific and Caribbean, with the death toll exceeding 100.
Controversy surrounds the US military's tactics, especially reports that survivors clinging to debris after initial strikes were targeted again, a move legal experts say could constitute a war crime. Latin American leaders and human rights advocates have condemned these actions as "extrajudicial killings."
The strikes are part of a broader US strategy aimed at disrupting drug trafficking from Latin America, particularly Venezuela. President Trump has justified the military actions as necessary to curb drug flows into the US and has ordered significant military deployments across Latin America.
Additionally, Trump has announced a comprehensive naval blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers, aiming to squeeze the country's economy amid ongoing tensions. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has denounced Washington's actions as an attempt at "regime change" and a theft of Venezuela's oil reserves.
