U.S. military kills 6 in strike on alleged drug boat in the Eastern Pacific

"Sunday's attack brought the death toll to at least 157 people since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls "narcoterrorists" in small vessels in early September. As with most of the military's statements on the more than 40 known strikes in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, U.S. Southern Command said it targeted alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes."

"President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in "armed conflict" with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing "narcoterrorists.""

"Critics have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes as well as their effectiveness, in part because the fentanyl behind many fatal overdoses is typically trafficked to the U.S. over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals impor"

The Trump administration has escalated military operations against alleged drug traffickers in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, conducting over 40 strikes since early September that have resulted in at least 157 deaths. The military targets small vessels along known smuggling routes but has provided limited evidence of drug trafficking. President Trump characterizes these operations as armed conflict against cartels and justified escalation to reduce drug flow into the United States. Trump met with Latin American leaders to encourage regional military cooperation against trafficking organizations. Ecuador and the U.S. conducted joint operations against organized crime. Critics question the legal basis and effectiveness of these strikes, noting that fentanyl primarily enters the U.S. through land routes from Mexico.

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