The U.S. military announced Tuesday that it attacked a vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, killing one person while two others survived the strike.
The action is the most recent in a series of military strikes that human rights organizations describe as extrajudicial killings, while the Trump administration frames them as operations against what it calls “narco-terrorists.”
According to U.S. Southern Command, which posted the announcement on X, one male died in the strike and two males were pulled from the water alive. The U.S. Coast Guard was also notified to assist with search and rescue efforts.
Survivors of these strikes have been rare, making Tuesday’s incident unusual.
The Southern Command stated the targeted vessel was being operated by what it described as “Designated Terrorists Organizations” and was traveling along “known narco-trafficking routes.” However, the military did not name those organizations, identify the individuals involved, or provide supporting evidence for its claims.
Since September, U.S. military strikes on similar vessels have resulted in more than 200 deaths. President Donald Trump’s administration has defended the campaign as targeting boats suspected of carrying illegal drugs.
Legal experts and human rights advocates both inside the United States and around the world have raised serious concerns about whether these strikes are lawful. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have both labeled the strikes unlawful extrajudicial killings.
