U.S. strike on Pacific vessel kills one, two survivors

A U.S. military strike on a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, June 16, killed one man and left two survivors, according to U.S. Southern Command. The operation is the latest in a months-long campaign targeting vessels the United States accuses of drug trafficking.

The command stated the vessel was "transiting along known narcotrafficking routes" and was operated by designated terrorist organizations, though it did not identify the groups or provide evidence that drugs were aboard at the time of the strike. A video released by the military showed a boat traveling in open water before being struck and bursting into flames. Southern Command said it immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to conduct search and rescue operations for the two survivors.

Tuesday's incident brings the total number of people killed in such boat strikes to at least 208 since the campaign began in September. The operation is part of a broader initiative dubbed Operation Southern Spear, which President Donald Trump's administration characterizes as a necessary military response to drug cartels. The president has stated the United States is in an "armed conflict" with these groups and that the...