Two Killed as US Bombs Suspected Drug-Smuggling Vessel in Pacific

US military launched another deadly strike against a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Wednesday (27 May), local time, killing two men on board.

The attack marks the second consecutive day of lethal military operations initiated by the Trump administration. In a statement on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, US Southern Command stated the target was a vessel operating along known drug trafficking routes.

“Two narcoterrorists were killed in this operation,” the command said in its official statement.

To bolster the report, the US military released low-quality black-and-white footage showing the vessel before the strike, a massive explosion destroying it, and burning debris on the water.

Operation “Southern Spear” began in early September. President Donald Trump has asserted that the US is effectively at war with Latin American-based drug cartels.

However, the military’s aggression has drawn sharp criticism. According to AFP records, the latest incident has added to the death toll, bringing the total fatalities in the US military campaign to at least 195.

The day before the incident, on Tuesday, a similar strike occurred. US Southern Command reported two survivors stranded at sea, with the US Coast Guard deployed for rescue operations. However, the Coast Guard has not provided further details when approached by AFP regarding the rescue efforts.

Despite the rising death toll, the Trump administration has yet to provide definitive evidence that the targeted vessels were involved in drug trafficking networks.

This has sparked protests from legal experts and human rights organisations, who deem the US military’s actions in international waters highly problematic and potentially unlawful. Human rights groups have even categorised the aerial strikes as extrajudicial killings, arguing the operations target civilians who pose no immediate threat to US security. (AFP/Z-2)