U.S. Strike Kills 2 on Eastern Pacific Vessel as Anti-Drug Boat Campaign Tops 210 Dead
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 24
U.S. Strike Kills 2 on Eastern Pacific Vessel as Anti-Drug Boat Campaign Tops 210 Dead
3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 24
Summary
Two alleged drug traffickers were killed after U.S. forces struck a low-profile vessel in the eastern Pacific, the first announced attack in about two months.
Southern Command said the boat was operating on established narcotrafficking routes, but the Pentagon again provided no public evidence that it was carrying drugs.
The latest deaths push the toll in the nearly yearlong campaign above 210 across more than 60 strikes off Latin America’s Caribbean coast and in the eastern Pacific.
The strike comes as the Trump administration seeks to expand operations onto land with regional partners; Hegseth said Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras agreed to joint missions, though Guatemala denied any deal.
The campaign faces widening scrutiny over legality and effectiveness, and the Pentagon inspector general is reviewing whether the military followed its targeting framework.