US Strike on Pacific Vessel Kills Two, Rights Groups Raise Concerns
The US military carried out another strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people it described as “male narco-terrorists” linked to unspecified organizations. According to the United States Southern Command, the operation was aimed at disrupting drug trafficking routes.
The military said the vessel was traveling along known narcotics trafficking routes, but did not provide further evidence to support the claim. No US forces were harmed in the operation.
Similar strikes have been carried out repeatedly in recent weeks. More than 170 people have been killed since September as part of the campaign. US President Donald Trump’s administration has defended the attacks as part of its fight against drug cartels.
Critics, however, have raised legal and ethical concerns. Organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have described the strikes as unlawful and warned that they amount to extrajudicial killings.