US military kills three in Eastern Pacific boat strike as campaign death toll rises
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Apr 27
US military kills three in Eastern Pacific boat strike as campaign death toll rises
15 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Apr 27
General Francis L. Donovan of US Southern Command ordered the 54th strike since September, killing three men on a suspected narco-trafficking route and raising the campaign death toll to at least 185.
No US personnel were harmed in the operation, and this marks the seventh such strike in April. The military released video footage showing the targeted boat bursting into flames.
Legal experts continue to question the lawfulness of these killings, while the White House maintains that the US is in a formal armed conflict with drug cartels, justifying the strikes.
Are billion-dollar naval operations the best way to fight drug trafficking?
How is this 'gunboat diplomacy' affecting America's standing in Latin America?
Could drones and AI stop drug boats without lethal force?
With cartels designated as terrorists, who is considered a civilian anymore?
Does the fight against cartels risk creating a permanent state of war?
What is the legal threshold for a criminal to become a military target?