The US military said on Saturday it had struck a suspected drug smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three men in the latest operation under an expanded campaign against narcotics trafficking.
The vessel was travelling along a known drug trafficking route, according to intelligence assessments, the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which oversees military operations in the region, said in a post on X. No US personnel were injured in the operation, SOUTHCOM said.
The information could not be independently verified.
Under orders from President Donald Trump, the US military has since last autumn carried out strikes against vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific that it says are being used to smuggle drugs into the United States.
The operations have repeatedly resulted in fatalities. On Friday, the US military reported a similar strike that also killed three people.
Critics have questioned whether the lethal operations in international waters comply with international law.
The US has long struggled with drug abuse and trafficking, and the administration has blamed foreign criminal networks and smugglers for contributing to the problem.
