Key facts
- US forces conducted a strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing two suspected drug traffickers.
- The strike occurred on Sunday and is the first such attack in over two months.
- The US Southern Command identified the individuals as narco-terrorists.
- The campaign has resulted in over 200 deaths and the destruction of numerous vessels.
- Human rights groups have criticized the strikes as unlawful extrajudicial killings.
US forces killed two suspected drug traffickers in a strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, marking the first such attack in over two months. The US Southern Command confirmed the strike occurred Sunday, identifying the individuals as narco-terrorists operating along established drug-trafficking routes. This operation is part of a nearly year-long campaign that has resulted in 223 deaths and the destruction of numerous vessels, including speedboats and low-profile craft. The Trump administration is also seeking agreements with Latin American nations for land-based joint military operations against criminal groups, though some countries have denied reaching such deals. Human rights organizations and UN experts have criticized the strikes, deeming them unlawful extrajudicial killings, while the administration justifies them as necessary to stem drug flow and fatal overdoses in the US. The Pentagon's watchdog is reviewing the military's targeting framework for these strikes.