One person killed in latest US military strike on alleged drug boat in Pacific | US military

The US military launched a new attack on a ship suspected of carrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Tuesday; One person died, two survived.

Video posted on social media by the US Southern Command shows a boat speeding through the water before bursting into flames. Southern Command said it “immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for survivors.”

The Trump administration’s campaign to blow up ships allegedly smuggling drugs in Latin American waters, including the Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean, has continued since early September and has killed at least 194 people in total.

The military did not provide evidence that any of the ships were carrying drugs.

The Pentagon watchdog said last week it would evaluate whether the U.S. military followed an established targeting framework in carrying out attacks on boats allegedly smuggling drugs. The six-stage joint targeting cycle includes a military commander’s intent, target development, analysis, decision, implementation, and evaluation.

The Pentagon inspector general’s office said the review was “self-initiated.” He said he would not investigate the legality of the strikes, which have drawn intense scrutiny from some Democratic lawmakers and military and legal scholars.

The Trump administration says the United States is at war against Latin American drug cartels, which it says are responsible for the scourge of fatal drug overdoses that have plagued many American communities.