US military: Dead in attack on drug boat in the Pacific

The US military's Southern Command (Southcom), which is responsible for the region, announced on Platform X that there were also two survivors of the attack. The US Coast Guard was therefore called in for rescue operations. There was initially no information on whether the people could be rescued.

According to intelligence, the boat was traveling in the Pacific along a route known for drug smuggling, the US military explained. The information could not initially be independently verified.

Since last fall, President Donald Trump and his administration have repeatedly attacked boats suspected of being used by drug smugglers in the Caribbean and Pacific. According to the military, well over 100 people have already been killed in the process. Trump's government cites the fact that it has declared drug cartels to be terrorist organizations as the legal basis for the attacks. Critics, however, question whether the deadly attacks in international waters are permissible under international law.