The US military announced Monday that it destroyed another suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people on board. US Southern Command posted on X that the boat, described as operated by a designated terrorist group, was blown up in international waters off South America, the Hill reports. No American personnel were injured, the command said without naming the group. The US has carried out at least 28 strikes against what the Trump administration says were drug boats in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean since Sept. 2. The government says the strikes have killed at least 107 people.
US officials said the vessel "was engaged in narco-trafficking operations," though it did not provide evidence for the claim, per the AP. The military posted a 22-second video on X that appears to show at least two strikes on the craft. The administration says the campaign is aimed at disrupting regional drug flows and safeguarding the US, while critics—including members of Congress—characterize the actions as unlawful killings carried out without clear legal justification.