The US military said it conducted a strike against an alleged drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on May 30. (US Southern Command via Storyful)
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WASHINGTON – The U.S. military said it conducted another strike Saturday against a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three men. The operation marked the fourth such attack this week, bringing the total death toll to 205.
What they’re saying:
U.S. Southern Command announced the strike with its usual language that the vessel was “engaged in narco-trafficking operations” and operated by a designated terrorist organization. It provided no evidence for the allegation.
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Big picture view:
It’s the latest in a monthslong campaign against alleged drug boats traversing the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific.
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Dig deeper:
Video released by the military on social media shows a small vessel floating in the ocean before it’s hit and engulfed in a fireball.
The attack brings the death toll to 205 in a series of U.S. strikes that began in early September, with other attacks announced on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. The Trump administration has declared that the U.S. is at armed conflict with Latin American drug cartels, saying they are behind the flow of drugs into American communities.
U.S. Southern Command said in its post on X that the strike came at the direction of Gen. Francis L. Donovan, the top U.S. commander in Latin America.
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