Strike on alleged drug vessel kills four in the Caribbean, US military says

The US Southern Command announced a lethal strike on a vessel in the Caribbean, killing four people alleged to be drug smugglers. The strike, conducted on Wednesday, was part of an ongoing effort to disrupt cartel operations. The US military claims the vessel was traveling known drug trafficking routes, but provided no evidence. This is the latest in a series of strikes against alleged "narco-terrorists" in the region, bringing the total deaths to at least 163 since September. These strikes have faced criticism from the UN and humanitarian organizations, who have condemned them as extrajudicial killings.

The United States conducted its 47th attack on a vessel allegedly involved in drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea on March 25, killing four people. US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) stated the strike, part of Operation Southern Spear, targeted a vessel operated by a "designated terrorist organization" engaged in narcotics trafficking. This latest attack brings the total number of deaths in the boat-bombing campaign, which began in September, to approximately 163. The Trump administration defends these lethal tactics as necessary to combat drug trafficking into the US. However, legal experts and human rights officials have criticized the strikes as extrajudicial killings.