U.S. officials have confirmed 21 strikes on suspected drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean since the Trump administration launched a campaign against alleged traffickers in September.
The death toll has risen to 83, with two survivors being apprehendedand one person who initially survived not being found after several days of searching in Mexican waters.
o far, 11 of the strikes have occurred in the Caribbean Sea, while the remaining ten took place in the eastern Pacific. “These narco-terrorists have killed more Americans than Al-Qaeda, and they will be treated the same,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a post on X.
President Donald Trump has justified the strikes by saying the United States is in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels. The administration has not provided evidence or further details.
U.N. experts said the lethal attacks on vessels raise serious concerns about potential international crimes: “These attacks appear to be unlawful killings carried out by order of a Government, without judicial or legal process allowing due process of law.”….
Top Military Lawyer Raised Concerns Over Boat Strikes
“The senior military lawyer for the combatant command overseeing lethal strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats near Venezuela disagreed with the Trump administration’s position that the operations are lawful — and his views were sidelined,” NBC News reports.