The U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced in an official statement issued Tuesday that it had carried out a series of precision air and naval strikes that killed 11 people who were aboard three boats, which U.S. authorities said were being used in drug smuggling operations through international waterways in the eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
Details of the military operation
According to a statement released by the Southern Command via its X platform, the operations conducted Monday evening targeted speedboats suspected of transporting large quantities of contraband. The military statement indicated that the strikes resulted in the deaths of four people aboard the first boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, four others aboard a second boat in the same region, and three people aboard a third boat in the Caribbean Sea.
The command supported its statement by releasing a video documenting the moment of the attack. The footage showed the three boats, two of which were stationary while the third was sailing at high speed. The cameras also recorded the movement of people on board the boats moments before the strikes.
US administration policy and escalating confrontation
These operations come amid a significant escalation by the United States that began in early September, with Washington intensifying its military operations against what the Trump administration calls "narco-terrorists." Reports indicate that this ongoing campaign has so far resulted in the deaths of more than 140 people and the destruction of dozens of boats in international waters surrounding Latin America.
The US administration adopts a hardline stance that considers drug cartels to be a threat to national security on par with terrorist threats, which necessitates the use of direct military force to cut off the supply and funding routes on which these criminal organizations depend.
Legal controversy and human rights concerns
Despite US military assurances that the targets were legitimate, these operations sparked widespread controversy in international human rights and legal circles. The US authorities did not provide immediate and conclusive evidence to the public proving the presence of drugs on board the targeted boats at the time of the bombing, thus raising questions about the legality of these strikes.
International law experts and human rights organizations warn that this pattern of operations may amount to "extrajudicial killings," expressing concern about the potential for civilian or fishermen who may be in those areas to become victims, especially in the absence of fair trials or legal procedures preceding the use of lethal force.
