Pacific Operations: U.S. Navy Kills Five on Suspected Drug Boat
Southern Command executed a kinetic strike on a go-fast vessel on October 27, adding to a campaign that has claimed at least 240 lives.
By Rahul Sato ·
The U.S. military killed five individuals on a vessel in the eastern Pacific on Tuesday, concluding a strike it described as a kinetic action against a confirmed narco-trafficking target.
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced that Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere carried out the operation on October 27. The command stated that confirmed intelligence showed the go-fast vessel was actively engaged in drug trafficking along established routes. SOUTHCOM identified the five people killed as narco-terrorists.
This engagement marks the latest action in a campaign spanning several months under the Trump administration. According to The Associated Press, more than 70 strikes have resulted in at least 240 deaths. SOUTHCOM released video footage of the Tuesday operation, which shows the vessel erupting into a fireball before the strike concludes.
The command did not provide specific coordinates for the strike, noting only that it occurred in the eastern Pacific. It also did not identify the individuals killed or present physical evidence that the vessel was carrying narcotics at the time of the explosion. This follows a pattern in which the military has generally described targets as linked to designated terrorist organizations without naming the crews.
The campaign has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers, legal experts, and human rights groups. These observers have questioned the legal basis for using lethal military force against suspected traffickers in areas that are not traditional battlefields.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the strategy last month, stating that the U.S. is increasingly seeking to conduct counter-narcotics operations in cooperation with regional allies and in accordance with their laws. Rubio told reporters that while the U.S. has the capacity to act unilaterally, working with allies is the most effective approach. He added that the military would still blow up ships if need be and that decisions would be made on a strike-by-strike or operation-by-operation basis.
In recent months, SOUTHCOM has also released videos showing military personnel intercepting, boarding, and sinking vessels. In those instances, crews were removed before the boats were destroyed.
Source: Fox News
