US Military Escalates Maritime Attacks Citing Drug Trafficking, Over 100 Dead Since September
The US military has targeted a vessel suspected of drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific Ocean, an attack that, according to US military officials, resulted in one fatality.
According to NBC News, the US Southern Command announced on X (formerly Twitter) that this operation was ordered by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and was carried out due to the vessel’s presence on known drug trafficking routes.
The US Department of Defense stated that since September, more than 20 attacks have been conducted against boats suspected of drug trafficking in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, resulting in over 100 deaths.
In response to these operations, several human rights groups have labeled the US attacks on vessels in these maritime areas as extrajudicial killings and war crimes, demanding greater accountability and transparency.
Meanwhile, some analysts believe that the increased US military presence and actions in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean go beyond combating drug trafficking and may be intended to pressure and intimidate left-wing governments opposing Washington’s policies in Latin America.
