US forces carry out another strike on alleged 'narco-trafficking' boat

WASHINGTON

US forces carried out another strike on an alleged "narco-trafficking" boat in the eastern Pacific in which three people survived, the military said Friday.

"Intelligence confirmed the low-profile vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Three narco-terrorists survived the strike," US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said in a post on X, accompanied by video footage of the attack.

"Following the engagement, USSOUTHCOM immediately notified U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivors. No U.S. military forces were harmed," it added.

The status of the survivors, including whether they were taken into custody, was not immediately clear.

Friday's strike is the first since the US carried out a strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing six people suspected of involvement in drug trafficking.

The Trump administration has defended the strikes as necessary to prevent illicit drugs from entering the US.

Officials say the operations are conducted in the country’s national security interest.

However, the strikes have drawn criticism from some lawmakers and advocacy groups, who have questioned their legal justification.