The US military says it struck two boats it alleges were carrying drugs on Wednesday, killing five people on board. US Southern Command did not say where it had carried out the latest strikes but US forces have been targeting vessels they suspect of smuggling narcotics through the Caribbean and eastern Pacific for the past three months. Wednesday's strike came a day after the US targeted what it said were three narco-trafficking vessels travelling as a convoy, killing at least three people. The Trump administration has cast its operations as a non-international armed conflict with the alleged traffickers, but legal experts say they could be in violation of the laws governing such conflict.
In total, there have been more than 30 strikes on vessels as part of the Trump administration's 'war on drugs' with more than 110 people killed since the US carried out its first attack on a boat in international waters on 2 September. Notably, the first attack has come under scrutiny from lawmakers in Washington since it was revealed that US forces struck the targeted boat twice, killing two survivors clinging to the hull in a subsequent strike. Some lawmakers have expressed concern that the 'double-tap' strike breached the rules of engagement.
In its post announcing the latest strike, US Southern Command mentioned that survivors were present, emphasizing its ongoing operations against what it describes as 'narco-terrorists'. Although the US government claims intelligence supports its actions, detailed evidence of drug transport remains undisclosed, raising questions about the legitimacy and legality of these operations.
In total, there have been more than 30 strikes on vessels as part of the Trump administration's 'war on drugs' with more than 110 people killed since the US carried out its first attack on a boat in international waters on 2 September. Notably, the first attack has come under scrutiny from lawmakers in Washington since it was revealed that US forces struck the targeted boat twice, killing two survivors clinging to the hull in a subsequent strike. Some lawmakers have expressed concern that the 'double-tap' strike breached the rules of engagement.
In its post announcing the latest strike, US Southern Command mentioned that survivors were present, emphasizing its ongoing operations against what it describes as 'narco-terrorists'. Although the US government claims intelligence supports its actions, detailed evidence of drug transport remains undisclosed, raising questions about the legitimacy and legality of these operations.
