US military says it struck suspected drug-trafficking vessel, 4 killed

The US military announced on Saturday that it had killed four individuals aboard a vessel in the Caribbean, accusing the ship of involvement in drug trafficking. According to a post on X by US Southern Command, the lethal strike was carried out under the direction of Southern Command. Intelligence confirmed the vessel's active participation in narco-trafficking, resulting in the death of four "narco-terrorists."

This operation is part of a campaign initiated last year against "narco-terrorists" by the Trump administration, which has faced criticism from rights groups who label the actions as "extrajudicial killings."

Since the Trump administration's campaign began nearly a year ago, at least 231 people have died from US military attacks on boats in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean, involving 69 strikes. The administration has also expanded the campaign on land by cooperating with governments in Latin America, although Guatemala later denied confirming such an agreement. Ecuador has engaged in similar operations with US support since March.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that Colombia, Guatemala, and Honduras have agreed to joint US operations against criminal groups. The administration has described the conflict as being against Latin American cartels and defended the strikes as necessary to prevent drug trafficking into the United States and the associated overdose deaths. However, the administration has faced criticism for providing limited evidence to substantiate its claims about the individuals killed in these operations.