The U.S. military on Tuesday shot down a vessel it said was used for drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific. One person was killed in the attack and two survived, according to U.S. Southern Command. The operation is part of the Trump administration’s broader crackdown on “narco-terrorists” who use Latin America’s sea lanes to smuggle drugs.Sharing details of Operation“One male narco-terrorist was killed during the operation, and there were two male survivors,” the command said.Video released showed a boat traveling in open water before being struck and bursting into flames.The latest attack brings to at least 208 the number of people killed in attacks on U.S. warships since the Trump administration began targeting so-called “narco-terrorists” in September.Southern Command said it “immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate the survivor search and rescue system.” No U.S. troops were injured.The Associated Press reported that, like previous military statements on operations in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean, Southern Command said it was targeting suspected traffickers operating along known smuggling routes. However, the military provided no evidence that the ship was carrying drugs at the time of the attack.The operation comes as the U.S. president continues to view the fight against Latin American cartels as an “armed conflict.” Trump believes military action is necessary to stop the flow of drugs into the United States and curb overdose deaths.However, the AP noted that the government has provided limited public evidence to support its assertion that those killed in the attack were “narco-terrorists.”The campaign also faces growing criticism from lawmakers and legal experts. Critics have questioned the legality and effectiveness of the strike, arguing that fentanyl, which is responsible for many overdose deaths in the United States, is primarily trafficked overland through Mexico, where it is produced using chemicals imported from China and India.The AP also reviewed the controversy surrounding one of the earliest strikes in September. Two men who initially survived the attack that killed nine people reportedly died clinging to the wreckage when the ship came under attack again.The White House later defended the subsequent attack, saying it was “self-defense” to ensure the ship was destroyed and to comply with the laws of armed conflict. However, the Associated Press quoted some legal scholars as saying that a second attack on a survivor would be illegal regardless of the existence of an armed conflict.The review has prompted an official review. Pentagon watchdogs announced in May that they would examine whether the military followed an established targeting framework when carrying out attacks. The review will assess compliance with the six-stage joint target cycle, but the regulator clarified that it will not assess the legality of the action itself.
