US military says five killed in strike on alleged drug boats
In a recent operation, the US military killed five individuals aboard two boats suspected of drug trafficking, continuing a series of strikes targeting such vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. This latest action follows a previous strike that resulted in three fatalities among a convoy of alleged narco-traffickers, raising legal concerns regarding the US's classification of these operations as a non-international armed conflict. Over 30 strikes have occurred since September, resulting in over 110 deaths, with scrutiny over a controversial 'double-tap' strike that killed survivors of an initial attack. The US claims intelligence confirms the boats' involvement in drug trafficking, but no evidence has been publicly provided. Moving forward, the operations may face increasing legal challenges as scrutiny grows in Washington.
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The US military's recent strike took place on Wednesday, and US Southern Command has been conducting operations against alleged drug smuggling vessels for three months. This escalation is part of the Trump administration's ongoing strategy against narcotics trafficking.
On December 30, a separate strike targeted three boats, with initial reports indicating at least three people were killed, and survivors were reportedly abandoned by fleeing crew members before follow-on strikes sank their vessels.
Since the first attack on September 2, which has faced particular criticism for its 'double-tap' method, US forces have executed more than 30 strikes, highlighting a significant escalation in the so-called 'war on drugs'.
Legal experts have raised concerns that these military actions could violate international laws governing armed conflict, particularly regarding the treatment of non-combatants and survivors.
Despite claims from US Southern Command regarding the intelligence on drug trafficking routes, there has been no public evidence provided to substantiate the allegations against the targeted vessels, leaving the legitimacy of the strikes in question.
Reports indicate that eight survivors from the December convoy strike were being searched for by the US Coast Guard, but it remains unclear if any have been located since the incident.