US Military: 8 Killed in Pacific Boat Strikes

The U.S. military has conducted a new series of strikes against vessels suspected of narcotics trafficking, resulting in eight deaths. U.S. Southern Command released footage Monday of the strikes, which targeted three vessels in international waters.

U.S. Military Strikes on Suspected Drug Vessels

Intelligence indicated the vessels were traveling along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and were involved in drug trafficking, according to U.S. Southern Command. Black-and-white footage shows the vessels being destroyed by explosions.

The U.S. has attacked over 20 vessels in the Pacific and Caribbean near Venezuela as part of an escalating campaign against drug trafficking initiated under the Trump administration. At least 90 suspected drug smugglers have been killed in these operations.

The use of military force against suspected drug vessels represents a significant shift in policy and has drawn criticism, with some legal experts arguing the strikes constitute unlawful extrajudicial killings.

The Trump administration has defended the legality of the strikes, asserting that operations in the SouthCom region comply with U.S. and international law, including the law of armed conflict, according to Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson.

These strikes followed an executive order issued earlier Monday designating fentanyl as a “weapon of mass destruction,” signaling an escalation of increasingly militaristic tactics to combat drug smuggling.