U.S. military strikes suspected drug vessel in Eastern Pacific

The U.S. military carried out a strike Friday (20 February) on a vessel allegedly engaged in narcotrafficking in the Eastern Pacific, according to the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).

The strike was conducted by Joint Task Force Southern Spear at the direction of SOUTHCOM Commander General Francis Donovan.

"Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narcotrafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations.Three male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed," SOUTHCOM said in a post on X

President Donald Trump has described the U.S. as being in “armed conflict” with Latin American cartels, framing the strikes as a necessary measure to curb drug trafficking.

However, his administration has provided minimal evidence to substantiate claims that the individuals killed were “narcoterrorists.”

Critics have raised doubts about both the legality and effectiveness of the strikes, noting that much of the fentanyl causing deadly overdoses is primarily smuggled overland from Mexico, where it is manufactured using chemicals sourced from China and India.

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