US Navy Strikes Drug Boat: 133+ Deaths Reported

The U.S. military’s Southern Command reported its second deadly boat strike this week, killing three suspected drug smugglers in the Caribbean on Friday. The command stated that intelligence confirmed the vessel was traveling along known narco-trafficking routes and engaged in related operations.

Caribbean Boat Strike

The Southern Command released a video of the strike, showing a boat exploding into flames after being hit by what appeared to be a missile. The Pentagon and Southern Command did not immediately respond to requests for further information.

This strike follows a similar incident in the eastern Pacific on Monday, resulting in the deaths of two suspected drug smugglers and one survivor. Friday’s killings bring the total death toll to at least 133 people across 39 strikes, according to a tally by the Intercept based on Pentagon statements.

This is the command’s first strike in the Caribbean since November, with most recent operations occurring in the Pacific. The legality of these strikes is facing scrutiny, with legal experts suggesting the attacks constitute extrajudicial killings lacking accountability.

According to an analysis by the Washington Office on Latin America, those killed in these strikes are denied due process. The organization states the Trump administration is asserting “an apparently unlimited license to kill people that the president deems to be terrorists.”

Earlier this month, Gen. Francis L. Donovan assumed command of the Southern Command, replacing Alvin Holsey, a Navy admiral who retired reportedly due to disagreements over the boat-strike policy.

The strike occurred after the U.S. launched an attack on Venezuela in early January, apprehending President Nicolás Maduro on alleged drug-trafficking charges. The Pentagon has characterized its operations in the region as a campaign against “narco-terrorism,” but has offered limited evidence of coordinated drug-smuggling networks.