US strikes suspected drug-smuggling boat in Pacific, killing 2

International Desk, PNN

The United States military has said it carried out a strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific. Two people aboard the vessel were killed in Sunday’s attack, according to the US military command.

In a post on social media on Monday, the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said the attack targeted a vessel travelling along a known drug-trafficking route in the eastern Pacific. The US military claimed that intelligence indicated the vessel was actively involved in drug trafficking.

A low-resolution black-and-white video released by Southern Command appears to show a vessel travelling on the water before a large explosion occurs moments later.

The US military said the Joint Task Force-Western Hemisphere carried out the lethal strike on the vessel under the direction of SOUTHCOM Commander General Francis L. Donovan.

In a statement, Donovan said drug-trafficking groups in the Western Hemisphere would not be given any concessions. He said the operations were aimed at disrupting their activities, dismantling their leadership and eliminating cartel terrorism across the region.

He further said the US military would take necessary measures to ensure that drug traffickers could not operate without hindrance and that the drugs they trafficked could not reach the American people.

The Trump administration’s military campaign against Latin American drug cartels began under the name “Operation Southern Spear.” Since the operation began in early September last year, US forces have carried out repeated strikes on suspected vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea.

According to an AFP tally, more than 200 people have been killed in these operations so far.

However, the Trump administration has yet to release specific and conclusive evidence supporting its claims that the vessels targeted in the strikes were involved in drug trafficking. As a result, questions have been raised internationally about the legality of the US military operations and the deaths resulting from the attacks.

Some legal experts and human rights organisations fear that the strikes could amount to extrajudicial killings. They argue that before launching a lethal military strike against a vessel based on suspicions of drug trafficking, authorities must follow appropriate legal procedures and establish with certainty that the intended target is legitimate.

In May this year, the inspector general of the US Department of Defense announced a review of whether the military had properly followed its procedures for selecting targets and conducting the strikes. However, the review was not expected to examine the legal authority or legality of launching the attacks.

As a result, the latest strike on a vessel in the Pacific is likely to fuel further debate over the scale of the US anti-drug campaign, while also intensifying questions about the legal basis for the use of lethal military force.