The US military on Thursday struck another alleged drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific, as the Trump administration comes under mounting scrutiny and criticism over the attacks.
The “lethal kinetic strike” killed four men, US Southern Command said in a statement, saying it was at the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
On X, US Southern Command published a 21-second black-and-white video of the Thursday strike, showing a top-down view of a boat travelling on the ocean. At about the six-second mark of the video, the boat erupts in flames.
“The vessel was carrying illicit narcotics and transiting along a known narco-trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific,” the US Southern Command said.
It is the 22nd attack by the Trump administration on vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea, killing more than 86 people, and the latest since November 15.
The Trump administration has been attacking boats since September 2, alleging they were operated by a designated terrorist organisation.
No proof of ties to a terrorist organisation has been made public.
President Donald Trump, via executive order, has listed eight drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specifically Designate Global Terrorists. His administration says the strikes protect Americans from the drugs on the boats, which are operated by drug cartels it is in armed conflict with.
Since the first strike, criticism has been mounting against the Trump administration. Domestic lawmakers and critics question the legality of the attacks, stating lethal military force is lawful only during an armed conflict or in self-defense against an imminent threat, while drug trafficking is a law enforcement issue.
Internationally, United Nations experts have described the attacks as extrajudicial killings and the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, has accused Trump of murder for killing a Colombian fisherman in one of the early strikes.
Colombia, Britain and other allies have reportedly either suspended or limited some intelligence sharing with the United States or have distancing themselves militarily from Washington because of the strikes. (UPI)
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