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The U.S. military carried out another strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, killing four people in the latest escalation of a controversial campaign targeting suspected drug-trafficking boats in Latin American waters.
The strike marks the fourth such attack announced in recent days and brings the total number of people killed in the operations to 175 since they began in September, according to U.S. officials.
The campaign, overseen by U.S. Southern Command, has continued even as the Pentagon remains heavily engaged in the conflict with Iran. Officials say the targeted vessels were operating along known drug-trafficking routes in the eastern Pacific and were linked to “designated terrorist organizations,” though the military has not publicly provided evidence supporting those claims.
Aerial video released by the military showed a small vessel moving through open water before being struck by a projectile and exploding. Similar footage has accompanied previous strikes in the campaign.
The Trump administration has framed the operations as part of a broader effort to combat drug trafficking and overdose deaths in the United States. Donald Trump has described the campaign as an “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America, arguing that more aggressive military action is necessary to disrupt narcotics networks.
The strikes began months before a January U.S. raid that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, who now faces drug trafficking charges in New York and has pleaded not guilty.
Despite the administration’s justification, the campaign has drawn increasing criticism from legal experts, lawmakers and advocacy groups. Critics argue that targeting suspected traffickers without clear evidence or judicial process raises serious legal concerns and may violate international law.
Questions have also been raised about the effectiveness of the strategy. Analysts note that much of the fentanyl driving overdose deaths in the United States is trafficked over land through Mexico, rather than by sea routes targeted in the strikes.
The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for one survivor from a separate strike over the weekend, underscoring the risks and human toll associated with the operations.
Military officials have not indicated any plans to scale back the campaign, suggesting additional strikes could continue as part of the administration’s broader anti-drug strategy.
