US military kills eight people in latest strikes on ‘narco terrorist’ boats in the Pacific
At least eight dead after US strikes drug trafficking boats in the Pacific
- A US military strike in the eastern Pacific Ocean killed at least eight people on three alleged drug trafficking boats, bringing the total number of deaths in similar actions in recent weeks to 95.
- The attack, ordered by Pete Hegseth, was justified by the US Southern Command as targeting vessels engaged in narco-trafficking along known routes.
- US lawmakers, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, criticised these actions as 'rogue and reckless', demanding transparency and accountability from the administration.
- United Nations and legal experts have raised concerns that the strikes could constitute 'extrajudicial killings', with Hegseth facing accusations of 'war crimes'.
- Donald Trump's administration designated fentanyl as a 'weapon of mass destruction', a move that could broaden military powers in the region to combat drug trafficking amidst rising tensions with Venezuela.