US conducts deadly strike on suspected drug trafficking vessel in eastern Pacific, three killed

The US military carried out a deadly strike against a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing three people. According to AFP, Saturday (30 May 2026), this marked the third deadly strike in the past week, with AFP calculations showing at least 198 total fatalities since Trump’s administration launched operations against suspected drug trafficking vessels in September last year. In a social media post on X, US Southern Command stated the vessel was transiting a known drug trafficking route in the eastern Pacific and was involved in drug trafficking operations. Video footage of Friday’s (29 May) strike showed a vessel at sea engulfed in a massive explosion, followed by close-up shots of burning debris and wreckage sinking. The US military initiated ‘Southern Spear’ operations in early September last year, with President Donald Trump insist the nation is effectively at war against Latin American-based drug cartels. However, his administration has provided no concrete evidence that the targeted vessels were involved in drug trafficking. Legal experts and human rights organisations have condemned the strikes as potential extrajudicial killings, arguing they target civilians who pose no immediate threat to the United States.