US Military Strike Kills 1 on Suspected Drug Boat as Pentagon Review Examines 194 Deaths
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 27
US Military Strike Kills 1 on Suspected Drug Boat as Pentagon Review Examines 194 Deaths
14 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 27
One man was killed and two survived after the US military struck a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the eastern Pacific on Tuesday, with Southern Command saying it alerted the Coast Guard for rescue.
Video posted by Southern Command showed the boat speeding across the water before erupting in flames, but the military has not provided evidence that the vessel was carrying drugs.
At least 194 people have been killed since the Trump administration began blowing up alleged drug-smuggling boats in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean in early September.
The latest strike came days after the Pentagon inspector general opened a self-initiated review of whether the military followed its six-phase targeting framework, amid scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers and legal scholars.
The administration says it is at war with Latin American drug cartels it blames for fatal US overdoses, while the watchdog said its review will not address the legality of the strikes.
With 194 fatalities and no confirmed drugs, what justifies these lethal maritime strikes?
As overdose deaths decline, is a billion-dollar military campaign against cartels the right strategy?
How can new military AI drones distinguish between smugglers and innocent fishermen at sea?