The Pentagon has released video showing U.S. military strikes on three vessels in the eastern Pacific that Washington says were involved in narcotics trafficking, operations that U.S. Southern Command said killed eight people on Monday (15 December).
"Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and were engaged in narco-trafficking," the military said in a post on X.
According to the U.S. military, intelligence assessments concluded that the vessels were travelling along established narcotics trafficking routes and were actively engaged in drug smuggling. The military said the operation resulted in the deaths of eight men.
The strikes form part of a wider U.S. campaign against maritime drug trafficking launched under President Donald Trump. U.S. officials say more than 20 vessels have been targeted across the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, including areas near Venezuela.
U.S. authorities estimate that at least 90 suspected drug smugglers have been killed since the campaign began. Washington argues the operations are lawful and aimed at disrupting transnational criminal networks that move drugs by sea toward North America.
The use of military force against suspected drug trafficking vessels represents a significant shift from previous U.S. approaches, which have typically relied on law enforcement interdictions and arrests.
Some legal experts have questioned the strikes, arguing that they could constitute unlawful extrajudicial killings under international law, a claim the Trump administration has rejected.
Qatar has pledged to bring professors from Qatar and other Islamic countries to Afghanistan and help equip a cancer treatment centre, as the two co...
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Kyiv wants peace but will not surrender to Russia, as foreign leaders joined Inde...
Only four commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, following 13 transits a day earlier, as disruptions continue to restrict traffi...
Iran on Saturday denounced U.S. plans to announce new sanctions that could put further strain on the Islamic Republic's economy and have an impact on its most important trading partners including China.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Kyiv wants peace but will not surrender to Russia, as foreign leaders joined Independence Day events marking 35 years since Ukraine’s independence.
A newly created pro-government political party has secured a commanding victory in Kazakhstan's snap parliamentary election, according to exit polls, strengthening President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's influence at a pivotal moment in the country's political transition.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected calls for a wartime election, arguing that holding a vote while Russia's full-scale invasion continues would divide the country and undermine national unity.
Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have elevated bilateral ties with a Treaty on Eternal Friendship signed by Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent on 23 August. The leaders also agreed to expand trade, investment, transport, and regional cooperation.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Kyiv wants peace but will not surrender to Russia, as foreign leaders joined Independence Day events marking 35 years since Ukraine’s independence.
Online fast-fashion retailer Shein is seeking to raise up to $1.77 billion in a Hong Kong IPO after its valuation fell around 70 per cent from its private-market peak four years ago.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 24th of August, covering the latest developments.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Monday that his party will introduce a bill to ban children under 16 from using social media. The proposal would allow fines of up to 10 per cent of a platform’s global revenue for non-compliance.
Icelanders will vote on Saturday, 29 August, on whether to begin negotiations with the European Union, in a referendum that could reopen the country’s long-debated membership question.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment