U.S. Southern Command reports lethal strikes against drug trafficking vessels

The U.S. Southern Command has reported lethal strikes against vessels suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific Ocean. In the Caribbean, a kinetic strike against a fast vessel resulted in the deaths of four suspected drug traffickers.

In a separate operation in the Eastern Pacific, a strike against another vessel resulted in the deaths of two individuals identified by officials as drug-trafficking terrorists. General Francis Donovan, commander of the Southern Command, stated that the Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere was established to accelerate and coordinate lethal actions against these networks to prevent illicit substances from reaching American communities.

These operations are part of an ongoing campaign that has reportedly resulted in approximately 150 deaths and the destruction of dozens of boats since early September. While the military maintains these strikes are necessary to dismantle gang leadership and stabilize the region, some members of Congress and human rights organizations have raised concerns regarding the legal basis for the use of force and have called for greater transparency regarding the intelligence used to target these vessels.