The United States military conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, which it claimed was involved in drug trafficking. US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) reported that three men were killed in the attack on Friday.
Key points
- The strike was directed by SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan and executed by Joint Task Force Southern Spear.
- The area of the attack is described as a "known narco-trafficking route."
- This incident brings the total killed in US vessel strikes under the Trump administration to at least 148 people across roughly 43 attacks since early September.
- Critics, including UN Special Rapporteur Ben Saul, have challenged the legality of the campaign, citing concerns over extrajudicial killings in international waters.
Why it matters
These repeated lethal strikes in international waters have drawn significant legal and human rights scrutiny against the US military operations authorized by President Donald Trump's administration.
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