US military strike kills 2 suspected narco-terrorists in Eastern Pacific
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The U.S. military launched a deadly attack on a ship it said was involved in drug smuggling in the Eastern Pacific on Wednesday, killing two people it described as “narco-terrorists,” according to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
A post on SOUTHCOM he said.
“Intelligence confirmed that the ship was transiting through known drug smuggling routes in the Eastern Pacific and was involved in drug smuggling operations.”
The army announced that two alleged narco-terrorists were killed in the attack. SOUTHCOM did not say whether anyone survived.
SOUTHCOM SAYS US SOLDIERS KILLED 2 SUSPECTED CARTEL OPERATORS IN LATEST EAST PACIFIC DEADLY STRIKE
Video released by U.S. Southern Command shows moments before a suspected drug smuggling ship was hit during an operation in the Eastern Pacific. (US Southern Command)
No U.S. military personnel were injured, the command added.
SOUTHCOM also released a short video showing a ship hurtling through water before bursting into flames.
The latest attack brings to at least 207 the number of people killed in U.S. military operations targeting ships suspected of drug smuggling since the Trump administration launched a broad campaign aimed at dismantling cartel-linked smuggling networks in September, according to The Associated Press.
US MILITARY KILLED 3 PEOPLE IN THE LATEST ATTACK ON A SUSPICIOUS DRUG SHIP IN THE PACIFIC
A ship suspected of drug smuggling burst into flames following a US military strike, according to US Southern Command. (US Southern Command)
Wednesday’s strike follows a series of similar operations in recent weeks.
On Saturday, the US military attacked a ship in the Eastern Pacific, killing three suspected narco-terrorists, according to SOUTHCOM.
The army said three people were killed in a separate attack on Friday, and two people were killed in a separate operation last Wednesday.
USA KILLS 3 ALLEGED DRUG TRAFFICKS IN ANOTHER EASTERN PACIFIC ATTACK
Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, led the operation targeting a ship suspected of drug smuggling in the Eastern Pacific, according to SOUTHCOM. (Brendan SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
SOUTHCOM also carried out an attack last Tuesday in which one person was reported killed and two survived.
In early May, two alleged narco-terrorists were killed and one survived during an operation in the Eastern Pacific, the command said.
The military released short videos and statements explaining that the ships were linked to terrorist organizations, but did not generally publicly disclose the identities of those killed or evidence proving the ships were carrying drugs. The campaign has faced scrutiny from lawmakers, legal experts and human rights groups who question the legal basis for using lethal military force against suspected traffickers outside a traditional battlefield.
The Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean remain major corridors for drug trafficking; Cartels often use small, fast-moving ships to transport drugs to the United States and Central America.
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Authorities said the ship was linked to terrorist organizations and involved in drug smuggling operations. (US Southern Command)
SOUTHCOM directs U.S. military operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean, including counternarcotics missions aimed at disrupting human trafficking networks affiliated with transnational criminal organizations.
The video released Wednesday was in black and white, similar to most footage previously shared by SOUTHCOM.
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But last week the military released its first color video of an attack on a ship suspected of drug smuggling.
Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
