By Blessing Nweke
The U.S. military said Thursday it carried out two additional strikes against boats it alleged were smuggling narcotics in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing five people and bringing renewed attention to a controversial campaign ordered by the Trump administration.
U.S. Southern Command said intelligence assessments determined the vessels were traveling along “known narco-trafficking routes” and were engaged in drug-smuggling operations. In posts on social media, the command released videos showing the small boats speeding across open water before being hit by explosions. The military did not disclose what type of weapons were used or provide independent evidence to support its claims.
According to the military, three people were killed aboard one vessel and two on the other. No U.S. personnel were injured, and officials said no drugs were recovered following the strikes.
The latest attacks bring the total number of known boat strikes to 28 since the campaign began, with at least 104 people killed, according to figures released by the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has defended the use of lethal force as a necessary escalation to curb the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, arguing that the country is engaged in an “armed conflict” with transnational drug cartels.
That characterization, however, has been disputed by legal experts and some lawmakers, who question whether the strikes comply with U.S. and international law. Members of Congress from both parties have called for greater transparency about the intelligence underpinning the attacks and the rules of engagement governing the operations.
Scrutiny intensified after the first publicly acknowledged strike in early September, which involved a second attack that killed two people who had survived the initial blast and were clinging to debris in the water. Critics have cited that incident as evidence of potential violations of the laws of war.
Administration officials maintain the strikes are lawful and effective, saying they disrupt trafficking networks and deter smugglers operating in international waters.
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