- The U.S. military launched a strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, killing four people and raising the total death toll from such operations to 175 since early September.
- This strike is the fourth announced in recent days as part of a campaign that began over seven months ago, targeting vessels accused of drug trafficking in Latin American waters.
- The military released aerial video of the strike and claimed the vessels were “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations" engaged in narco-trafficking, but did not provide evidence.
- President Donald Trump has justified these attacks as an "armed conflict" to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and reduce fatal overdoses.
- Critics question the legality and effectiveness of these boat strikes, noting that fentanyl, a major cause of overdoses, is typically trafficked over land from Mexico.
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