Two Killed in US Military Strike on Suspected Drug Smuggling Vessel in Eastern Pacific

Washington D.C. Two individuals have died in a US military strike on a vessel suspected of involvement in drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. One other person was reportedly found alive. The US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) described the operation conducted on Monday as a lethal military strike.

SOUTHCOM stated that the attack on the vessel occurred on February 9 under the direction of Commander General Francis L. Donavan. The command informed via the social media platform X that the US Coast Guard has been notified for the search and rescue of the surviving individual.

A spokesperson for the US Coast Guard told CNN that the Ecuadorian Maritime Rescue Coordination Center is leading the search and rescue operation, with the US side providing technical assistance. Under 'Operation Southern Spear,' initiated by the Trump administration, at least 121 people have died in strikes against suspected drug smuggling vessels to date.

The administration has labeled the killed individuals as unlawful combatants and claimed the authority to conduct lethal military action without court review, based on what is reported to be a secret Department of Justice memo.

This is the third publicly confirmed strike this year. A similar strike in January resulted in two deaths and one person rescued alive.

However, the US administration has not yet released clear evidence confirming that all those killed were connected to drug cartels. The presence of narcotics has also not been confirmed on some of the vessels. Serious questions are being raised in the US Congress regarding the legality of this campaign, which began in September.