US strike on alleged drug boat kills two people in eastern Pacific Ocean
Attack brings death toll to at least 207 since administration began targeting people it calls ‘narcoterrorists’
TL;DR
- The US military attacked a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in the deaths of two men. The boat was accused of smuggling drugs.
- This strike brings the total number of people killed in similar US military operations to at least 207 since early September.
- US Southern Command stated the target was along known smuggling routes, but did not provide evidence the vessel was carrying drugs.
- Critics question the legality and effectiveness of the boat strikes, noting that fentanyl often enters the US via land routes from Mexico.
- Concerns were previously raised about a strike where survivors clinging to wreckage were killed in a second attack, which the White House defended as self-defense.
- The Pentagon's watchdog is investigating the targeting framework used for these strikes, but not their overall legality.