The US military says it struck two boats it alleges were carrying drugs on Wednesday, killing five people on board.
The US Southern Command did not specify where it had carried out the strikes, but US forces have been targeting vessels suspected of smuggling narcotics to the Caribbean and eastern Pacific for three months.
This latest strike followed the US targeting of a convoy of three narco-trafficking vessels just a day prior, resulting in at least three deaths.
As part of the Trump administration's operations, which it views as a non-international armed conflict, more than 30 strikes have occurred, leading to over 110 fatalities since the commencement of these operations on 2 September.
Concerns have been raised regarding these strikes, particularly regarding a recent incident where survivors of an initial strike were killed in a subsequent attack, leading to questions about the compliance with engagement rules.
The US has provided no concrete evidence linking the targeted boats to drug trafficking, stating only that intelligence indicated their involvement in known narcotics routes.
In the most recent operation, the Southern Command announced there were survivors among the targeted vessels. A search has been initiated by the US Coast Guard, though it remains unclear how many have been located.
