The United States military has killed at least 186 people in a controversial campaign targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American and Caribbean waters, yet no military evidence has been presented that any of the destroyed boats were carrying illicit drugs.
Latest Strike Kills Three
Three people died on Sunday in the latest US military strike on a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, according to a statement by the US Southern Command. The command claimed the vessel was ferrying drugs, but provided no proof. A video posted on X by Southern Command showed the boat moving swiftly before an explosion left it in flames.
Campaign Context
The attacks began in early September as the US built up its largest military presence in the region in generations. They came months ahead of the January raid that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges and has pleaded not guilty. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered many of the strikes.
President Donald Trump has stated the US is in "armed conflict" with cartels in Latin America and justified the attacks as necessary to stem the flow of drugs into the United States. However, critics question the legality and effectiveness of the strikes, noting that fentanyl, the drug behind many fatal overdoses, is typically trafficked over land from Mexico, using chemicals imported from China and India.
Previous Incidents
Another strike last Sunday on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea resulted in three deaths. On 15 April, four people were killed in a similar strike in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The military stated all vessels were "operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations" and intelligence confirmed they "were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes... and were engaged in narco-trafficking operations," but no evidence was provided.
Political and Legal Criticism
Democratic lawmakers have described the strikes as "illegal" and "reckless," pointing to the lack of public evidence that those killed were traffickers. Some Republican lawmakers have also expressed concern. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) said in October: "We don't blow up boats off Miami because 25 per cent of the time suspicion is wrong. We shouldn't do it off Venezuela either. These are small outboards with no fentanyl and no path to Florida."
Human rights groups and UN officials have characterized the US military offensive as illegal under international law. Amnesty International called it "murder — plain and simple."
