The United States military has conducted a new series of lethal strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in the deaths of eight individuals. Washington claims the targets were vessels involved in drug trafficking, bringing the total number of people killed in this controversial campaign to at least 95 since it began in early September.
Details of the Latest Operation
According to the US Southern Command, three separate boats were engaged and destroyed on Monday. The command stated on the social media platform X that intelligence confirmed the vessels were moving along known narco-trafficking routes. Video footage released shows each boat being hit by a strike.
The first vessel's strike killed three men, the second killed two, and the third killed another three men. The US military has labeled those killed as "unlawful combatants." However, specific evidence that these particular boats were carrying drugs has not been publicly provided by US authorities.
A Growing and Controversial Campaign
This campaign, authorized under Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, has intensified dramatically. Since the start of September, US forces have targeted alleged drug-smuggling boats in both the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean. The operation has so far destroyed at least 26 vessels and killed at least 95 people.
The legal basis for these actions stems from a classified Justice Department finding. The US administration argues this allows it to legally conduct lethal strikes against unlawful combatants without prior judicial review.
International Scrutiny and Domestic Questions
The strikes have not gone without significant criticism. Human rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers in the US have raised serious concerns. Last month, the United Nations's human rights chief warned that such actions could potentially violate international law.
The controversy is now reaching the highest levels of the US government. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that there will be an all-senators briefing on Tuesday regarding what he termed the "administration's rogue and reckless actions in the Caribbean." Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio are expected to attend the briefing.
As the body count rises, the campaign continues to operate in a legal and ethical gray zone, facing mounting pressure both internationally and at home to justify its tactics and transparency.
