WASHINGTON: The US military has carried out another strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three men aboard a vessel transiting along "narco-trafficking" routes.
"Three male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No US military forces were harmed," US Southern Command said in a post on X.
The video appears to show a small vessel moving through the ocean before it is struck, triggering a massive explosion that engulfs the boat in a fireball. The footage then cuts to what seems to be the aftermath, with the vessel ablaze.
The strike is part of the Trump administration's intensified campaign against drug cartels, which US officials blame for fueling the country's deadly overdose crisis.
Timeline of US Southern Command strikesOn May 26, 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”, Southern Command said on X.
It further wrote, “One male narco-terrorist was killed during this action, and there were two survivors.”
On May 27, US Southern Command released footage of another strike, stating that intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific.
“Two male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No US military forces were harmed”, the command said.
On May 29, at the direction of SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted another lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations.
“Three male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No US military forces were harmed,” reads the X post.
Campaign has killed above 200 people since SeptemberThe Trump administration's anti-drug trafficking campaign in Latin American waters, launched in September.
The operations have resulted above 200 deaths.
However, the US military has not publicly provided evidence that the vessels targeted in the strikes were carrying narcotics.
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