US military attacks another alleged drug boat in eastern Pacific, killing three | Trump administration

The United States carried out another attack on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific on Saturday, killing three people on board, the Pentagon said Sunday.

“Intelligence confirmed the ship was involved in illicit narcotics trafficking, transited a known drug trafficking route, and was transporting narcotics,” U.S. Southern Command said in a post on social media.

The announcement said the boat was in international waters when it was hit by the Southern Spear joint task force. The latest operation was the US military’s 21st known attack on drug ships since early September, and was described as a justified effort to disrupt the flow of narcotics into the US.

More than 80 people died in the attacks, according to Pentagon figures. Congressional lawmakers, human rights groups and U.S. allies have raised questions about the legality of the attacks.

The Trump administration has said it had the legal authority to carry out the attacks, that the justice department provided legal advice to justify the attacks, and that U.S. military personnel conducting the operations were immune from prosecution.

More details soon …