WASHINGTON — The U.S. military conducted another strike on a boat accused of drug smuggling in the eastern Pacific on Thursday, killing two people and leaving six survivors.
The attack, the 60th such operation, brings the total number of fatalities from U.S. boat strikes to over 210 since the campaign against “narcoterrorists” began in September under the previous administration.
It is not yet known whether the survivors have been rescued. After a similar strike on June 16, U.S. Central Command notified the Coast Guard, which later halted its search, reporting no signs of survivors or debris. No comment has been provided on the current incident.
U.S. Southern Command stated that the target was an alleged drug trafficker operating along known smuggling routes, though no evidence of a drug cargo was released.
A black‑and‑white video posted on X shows a boat accelerating before being hit by a projectile and erupting in flames.
President Donald Trump has described the United States as being in “armed conflict” with Latin American cartels and defended the strikes as necessary to curb drug flows that fuel fatal overdoses in the U.S., despite limited public evidence supporting the “narcoterrorist” label.
Critics question both the legality and effectiveness of the operations, noting that much of the fentanyl causing U.S. deaths is trafficked over land from Mexico, where it is synthesized with chemicals imported from China and India.
On Thursday, lawmakers demanded that the Pentagon release unedited footage of the first strike after reports that a follow‑up attack targeted survivors of the initial assault. The White House confirmed the second strike, describing it as “self‑defense” aimed at ensuring the vessel’s destruction in accordance with the laws of armed conflict.
Legal experts argue that striking surviving individuals would be unlawful under any circumstance. The Pentagon’s inspector general announced a review in May of whether the military adhered to the six‑phase Joint Targeting Cycle, though the inquiry does not address the overall legality of the strikes.