WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. navy mentioned Friday that it has carried out one other lethal strike on a vessel accused of trafficking medication within the Caribbean Sea.
U.S. Southern Command mentioned on social media that the boat “was transiting alongside recognized narco-trafficking routes within the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations.” It mentioned the strike killed three individuals. A video linked to the submit exhibits a ship shifting by means of the water earlier than exploding in flames.
Friday’s assault raises the loss of life toll from the Trump administration’s strikes on alleged drug boats to 133 individuals in no less than 38 assaults carried out since early September within the Caribbean Sea and jap Pacific Ocean.
U.S. Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth declared final week that “some high cartel drug-traffickers” within the area “have determined to stop all narcotics operations INDEFINITELY on account of latest (extremely efficient) kinetic strikes within the Caribbean.” Nevertheless, Hegseth didn’t present any particulars or data to again up this declare, made in a submit on his private account on social media.
President Donald Trump has mentioned the U.S. is in “armed battle” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the assaults as a essential escalation to stem the move of medication. However his administration has supplied little proof to assist its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.”