The United States military has confirmed that three people were killed in a fresh strike on an alleged drug-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean, pushing the total number of deaths linked to the ongoing campaign to at least 180.
The operation, carried out on Sunday, is the latest in a series of controversial maritime attacks ordered under President Donald Trump’s administration.
US Southern Command said the vessel was hit in a “lethal kinetic strike” after intelligence reportedly linked it to organised drug trafficking networks.
Officials maintained that the boat was operating along established narcotics routes in the Caribbean and was being used for illegal transport operations.
According to the military statement posted on X, the target was classified as a vessel operated by “designated terrorist organisations.” It also claimed that all three men onboard were involved in drug trafficking activities at the time of the strike.
Washington insists the campaign is part of a broader war against what it describes as “narco-terrorists” operating across Latin America. The strikes, which began in September last year, have steadily expanded in scope, with at least six recorded in April alone.
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👉 JOIN GISTSMATE WHATSAPP CHANNELHowever, the operation continues to attract sharp criticism internationally. Rights groups and legal experts have questioned the legality of the strikes, arguing that the US has not provided verifiable evidence to prove that all targeted vessels were actively engaged in drug trafficking.
An AFP tally indicates that the latest incident brings the total number of people killed in such operations to at least 180. That figure has fuelled growing concerns over the scale and intensity of the military campaign in the region.
Critics argue that the strikes amount to extrajudicial killings, especially in cases where individuals onboard vessels were not shown to pose an immediate threat.
They warn that the lack of transparency around intelligence used for targeting raises serious accountability issues.
Despite the backlash, US officials have maintained that the operations are necessary to disrupt drug supply chains reaching North America. The debate, however, is expected to intensify as the death toll continues to rise and questions over proportionality remain unanswered.
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