Daijiworld Media Network – Washington

Washington, Apr 14: Two people were killed in a US military strike targeting a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific, the United States Southern Command said on Monday.

The strike, directed by Marine General Francis Donovan, targeted a small boat allegedly operated by a US-designated terrorist group involved in trafficking illicit drugs to the United States. Officials did not disclose the exact location of the operation.

In a statement, the command described those killed as male “narco-terrorists.” Footage released by the military showed what appeared to be a small fishing boat being struck by aerial munitions, leaving it smoking.

The operation is part of an ongoing anti-narcotics campaign dubbed Joint Task Force Southern Spear, conducted in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean regions.

Authorities said the mission aims to disrupt drug cartels by applying sustained pressure, adding that no US personnel were injured during the strike.

According to reports, the administration of US President Donald Trump has carried out around 50 such strikes during his current term, destroying dozens of vessels and resulting in over 170 deaths.

The US government has classified major drug cartels as terrorist organisations, arguing that their role in supplying narcotics such as fentanyl constitutes a national security threat.

However, the operations have drawn criticism from some quarters, including lawmakers and families of those killed, who have questioned the legality of such strikes and the lack of due process or publicly available evidence linking victims to drug trafficking.