Daijiworld Media Network – Washington
Washington, Feb 21: The US military carried out a strike on an alleged drug-trafficking vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Friday, killing three people, according to the United States Southern Command.
In a statement posted on X, the command said that on February 20, under the direction of Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a “lethal kinetic strike” on a vessel reportedly operated by designated terrorist organisations. It added that no US military personnel were injured in the operation.
The latest action brings the total number of people killed in strikes on suspected drug boats to at least 138 under Operation Southern Spear, a campaign launched by the administration of US President Donald Trump to curb narcotics trafficking.
Friday’s strike is the sixth publicly known attack this year and the second this week. On Tuesday, the US military conducted strikes on three alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean, resulting in 11 deaths, officials said.
The ongoing military operations in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean have drawn scrutiny in Congress since they began last September. Previously, efforts to combat illicit drug trafficking were primarily handled by law enforcement agencies and the US Coast Guard, with suspects treated as criminals entitled to due process.
The Coast Guard continues to intercept suspected drug-trafficking vessels and seize narcotics in the eastern Pacific without employing lethal force.