US military says it killed two people in another boat strike in eastern Pacific

The US military said it killed two people in a strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Monday, claiming the targets were involved in “narco-trafficking operations”.

The announcement, like most of the military’s statements on the dozens of strikes it has conducted in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea, did not provide evidence to support its claims that the targets were engaged in narco-trafficking.

The US Southern Command said in a social media post that the “vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes” and alleged that the vessel was operated by “designated terrorist organizations”. The statement described the two people killed as “male narco-terrorists”, and did not provide further detail on their identities.

The US Southern Command, which oversees military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, said it was “applying total systemic friction on the cartels” and said no US military forces were harmed in the operation. The post included grainy video showing the explosion of a vessel from above.

The lethal strike came one day after the military said it had blown up two boats it alleged were smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific, with explosions that killed five people and left one survivor. The military said the US coast guard activated a search and rescue system for the survivor. The military also shared footage of that explosion and did not provide evidence to support its claims.

The military has killed at least 170 in boat strikes since the Trump administration began targeting vessels in the region in early September, according to the Associated Press.

The US government has faced widespread scrutiny over the strikes, with critics arguing it was illegal under US and international law to suspected of crimes.