In a move that feels straight out of an action thriller, the US military on Wednesday launched another strike against a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in international waters of the eastern Pacific. All three people aboard the boat were killed, said US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Hegseth took to X, describing the operation as a lethal kinetic strike against a Designated Terrorist Organization involved in narco-trafficking along a well-known route. He called the suspects 'narco-terrorists' who bring death and destruction to cities in the US and vowed to continue these strikes until the threat is extinguished. 🚢💥
Colombian President Gustavo Petro slammed the attack as 'murder', questioning the boat's origin—whether it was Ecuadorean or Colombian—and warning that the strikes violate international law. Colombia's Foreign Ministry echoed the call for the US to stop these operations.
Since September, the US military has carried out seven similar operations in the Caribbean Sea, targeting boats accused of moving drugs from Venezuela into the US. The death toll has now reached at least 37, including the three lives lost in the latest Pacific strike near Colombia's coast.
As tensions rise, critics worry about legal norms and human rights, while US officials vow to keep pressing their anti-drug campaign at sea. 🌊⚖️
Reference(s):
U.S. military strikes another alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific
cgtn.com
