""The vessel was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking transit route, and carrying narcotics," Hegseth said in a post on X on Wednesday. "There were two narco-terrorists aboard the vessel during the strike, which was conducted in international waters. Both terrorists were killed and no US forces were harmed in this strike," Hegseth said about Tuesday's action."
"The administration of President Donald Trump began to deploy stealth warplanes and Navy ships in September as part of what it says are efforts to counter drug trafficking to the United States. Tuesday's attack in the eastern Pacific, which spans the west coast of the Americas, marks a shift in the campaign. Previous US strikes targeted vessels in the Caribbean to the east of Central America. Most of the cocaine smuggled into the US crosses overland into the country from Mexico, according to the US Justice Department. But it mostly arrives in Mexico from Colombia and Peru, the world's largest cocaine producer, via the Eastern Pacific rather than via the Caribbean."
"This is the eighth US strike on alleged drug smugglers since September, which have left at least 34 people dead. Numerous legal experts and rights groups have criticized the summary killings, saying they are illegal even if they target confirmed narcotics traffickers. On Tuesday, UN experts said the "use of lethal force in international waters without proper legal basis violates the international law of the sea.""
Two people were killed in a US strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in international waters. US intelligence identified the vessel as involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, transiting a known narco-trafficking route and carrying narcotics. A video shows a speedboat laden with packages struck and engulfed in flames. The operation marks a shift to the eastern Pacific and follows deployment of stealth warplanes and Navy ships to counter trafficking. Eight strikes since September have reportedly killed at least 34 people. Legal experts, rights groups and UN experts have raised concerns that lethal force in international waters may violate international law.
Read at www.dw.com
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