President Donald Trump has said the United States is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the strikes as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the country. The administration has offered little evidence to support its characterizations of those killed as “narcoterrorists,” according to the Associated Press.

Critics have questioned both the legality and the effectiveness of the boat strikes. Fentanyl behind many fatal overdoses is typically trafficked to the United States over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India, limiting the strategic value of maritime interdiction against the primary U.S. drug threat.

The campaign drew particular scrutiny after it was revealed that the military killed survivors of the very first boat attack with a follow-up strike. The Trump administration and many Republican lawmakers said the action was legal and necessary. Democratic lawmakers and legal experts said the killings amounted to murder; some characterized them as a war crime.

Regional outreach

On Saturday, Trump met with Latin American leaders and urged them to join the United States in taking military action against drug-trafficking cartels and transnational gangs, which he said pose an “unacceptable threat” to the region’s national security.

Ecuador and the United States also conducted joint military operations during the week against organized crime groups in Ecuador.