A US strike on a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean killed 2 people and left 6 survivors. The strike is part of an ongoing campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America.
Background
The US military has conducted over 60 strikes against boats accused of smuggling drugs since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” in early September. The latest attack brings the number of people killed in boat strikes by the US military to over 210.
US Southern Command said it targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. However, the military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs.
Controversy
Critics of the strikes have questioned the overall legality as well as their effectiveness. Some argue that the fentanyl behind many fatal US drug overdoses is typically trafficked over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India.
US lawmakers have demanded that the Pentagon release “unedited video” of the first strike, which reportedly killed 9 people and left 2 survivors. The survivors were then killed in a follow-up strike, which the White House claimed was done “in self-defense” to ensure the boat was destroyed.
Legal scholars have questioned the legality of the second strike, arguing that it would have been illegal under any circumstance, armed conflict or not.
Original reporting: 40/29 / KHBS (NW Arkansas) — read the source article.
