The US military announced it had killed at least eight people in attacks on three suspected drug-trafficking vessels in international waters, bringing the death toll to at least 110 in Washington’s campaign against what it calls drug traffickers. The US Southern Command, responsible for American military operations in Central and South America, said the raids targeted “three drug trafficking boats in convoy”. The three victims were all on board the first boat. The exact location was not given. In the past, similar operations have taken place in the Caribbean or the eastern Pacific.
According to the military, the boats were operated by “designated terrorist organizations”, without further details. In the note, released on X together with a video, the command claims that “three narco-terrorists” died in the attack. The occupants of the other two boats abandoned the vehicles and jumped into the sea, before further attacks sank both boats. The military said they had notified the Coast Guard to activate the search and rescue system, without specifying the fate of the people who ended up in the water.
Since September, the United States has conducted over 30 attacks of this type against vessels that, according to Washington, are transporting drugs to the United States, without providing precise public evidence of the targets’ involvement in the trafficking. International law experts and human rights organizations argue that these operations could constitute extrajudicial killings, because they would have targeted civilians who did not pose an immediate threat to the United States.
President Donald Trump has also increased pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in recent months, accusing him of leading a drug cartel. Maduro rejects the accusations and claims that Washington is aiming for regime change to access the country’s vast oil reserves.
