The U.S. military carried out another strike Friday on a boat it accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three men and pushing the overall death toll above 200 people in the campaign. U.S. Southern Command (Southcom) announced the operation, the third such strike this week, describing the vessel as “transiting along known narco-trafficking routes” and operated by a designated terrorist organization.
The strikes are part of an escalating months-long campaign targeting alleged drug boats traversing the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific. Southcom provided no evidence linking the vessel to a terrorist group or drugs, repeating standard language that the boat was “engaged in narco-trafficking operations.”
No senior administration official has publicly commented on the rising civilian death toll, which has more than doubled in recent weeks. Critics in Congress have begun pressing for a formal explanation, with some Democratic lawmakers calling the strikes extrajudicial and demanding transparency from the Pentagon.
Human rights groups have condemned the campaign, arguing the lack of evidence raises legal and ethical concerns. The exact number of deaths remains disputed; the Pentagon has not released a comprehensive count, while Southcom statements have declined to specify casualty figures.
Political analysts note the strikes occur without public congressional authorization or international oversight, setting a potential precedent for unilateral military action in the region. The Biden administration, which initiated a similar maritime counter-narcotics effort in 2021, had kept average annual fatalities in the single digits.