The US military carried out a lethal strike on a vessel it said was involved in drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific, killing three men the command described as ‘narco-terrorists,’ according to US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
Details of the Strike
On June 18, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations.
The military said three men it described as ‘narco-terrorists’ were killed in the strike. SOUTHCOM did not say whether anyone survived. No US military personnel were harmed, the command said.
SOUTHCOM also released a brief video showing a vessel speeding through the water before erupting in flames. Additional footage appeared to show debris floating in the aftermath of the strike.
Context of the Operation
The strike was the latest in a months-long campaign launched by the Trump administration aimed at dismantling cartel-linked trafficking networks. According to The Associated Press, the latest operation brings the number of people killed in US military strikes targeting vessels since September to at least 211.
The action comes after SOUTHCOM said Tuesday that it carried out a strike in the Eastern Pacific that killed one person it described as a ‘narco-terrorist.’ Two other individuals survived that attack, the military said.
Last week, President Donald Trump announced that SOUTHCOM had ‘delivered a swift and lethal kinetic strike’ that killed Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as Niño Guerrero, the alleged leader of Tren de Aragua.
The US Department of State had previously offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the 42-year-old Venezuelan’s arrest or conviction.
The campaign has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers, legal experts, and human rights groups who have questioned the legal basis for using lethal military force against suspected traffickers outside a traditional battlefield.
The Eastern Pacific remains a key corridor for narcotics trafficking, with criminal organizations frequently using small vessels to move drugs toward North America.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
