The U.S. military struck a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, killing two men whom U.S. Southern Command described as alleged drug traffickers, according to a statement from the command.
The attack came along what the military said were known smuggling routes. U.S. Southern Command did not release evidence that the boat was carrying narcotics. A video posted on the social platform X showed a small boat speeding through the water before erupting into flames.
The strike is the latest in a campaign the Trump administration launched in early September, which it has framed as an escalation against criminal organizations it labels “narcoterrorists.” At least 207 people have been killed in such strikes since the campaign began, according to an Associated Press tally of military statements.
President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels operating in Latin America and has justified the military action as a necessary step to reduce the flow of illicit drugs into the United States and curb fatal overdoses. The administration, however, has offered little evidence to support its characterization of the people killed as narcoterrorists, the AP reported.