WASHINGTON — U.S. military forces launched a strike Friday against a boat suspected of drug smuggling in the eastern Pacific Ocean, with three people surviving the attack, according to officials from the Trump administration’s ongoing anti-trafficking operations.
U.S. Southern Command, responsible for military operations across much of Latin America, announced on X that it immediately contacted the U.S. Coast Guard to begin search and rescue operations for the three survivors.
The military statement did not confirm whether the survivors had been successfully rescued or if any fatalities occurred during the operation.
Since the Trump administration launched its campaign against what it terms “narcoterrorists” operating small boats in early September, military strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 157 individuals.
Following the pattern of previous military announcements regarding more than 40 documented strikes across the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, U.S. Southern Command stated it had targeted suspected drug smugglers operating along established trafficking corridors. However, the military provided no proof that the vessel was actually transporting narcotics. Officials released footage on X showing a boat bursting into flames while moving through the water.
President Donald Trump has declared the United States is engaged in “armed conflict” with Latin American cartels and has defended these operations as essential measures to reduce drug trafficking into America and prevent overdose deaths among U.S. citizens. However, his administration has provided minimal evidence to back up its assertions about eliminating “narcoterrorists.”
Opposition voices have raised concerns about both the legal basis for these maritime strikes and their actual impact, noting that fentanyl responsible for many overdose fatalities typically enters the U.S. through overland routes from Mexico, where it’s manufactured using chemicals shipped from China and India.
