WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military said it launched another strike on a boat accused of ferrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea, killing three people Sunday.
The Trump administration's campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters haspersisted since early Septemberand killed at least 181 people in total. Other strikes have taken placein the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Despitethe Iran war, the series ofstrikes have ramped up againin the past week or so, showing that the administration's aggressive measures to stop what it calls “narcoterrorism” in the Western Hemisphere are not letting up. The military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs.
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The attacks began as the U.S. built up its largest military presence in the region in generations and came months ahead of the raid in January thatcaptured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He was brought to New York toface drug trafficking chargesand has pleaded not guilty.
In the latest attack Sunday, U.S. Southern Command repeated previous statements by saying it had targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. It posted a video on X showing a boat moving along the water before a massive explosion engulfs the vessel in flames.
President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and hasjustified the attacksas a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.”
Critics, meanwhile, havequestioned the overall legalityof the boat strikes.
