US Strike Kills Two on Suspected Drug Vessel in Pacific

The U.S. military conducted a strike on Friday against a vessel suspected of transporting drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in the deaths of two individuals. The operation, carried out by U.S. Southern Command, targeted the boat along established smuggling routes in international waters off Latin America.

This incident marks the latest action in a series of military operations that began in early September, aimed at disrupting drug trafficking networks. According to military officials, the campaign has involved similar strikes on suspected vessels in the eastern Pacific and the Caribbean Sea, with a total of at least 183 people killed to date. In the Friday attack, Southern Command released video footage on the social media platform X, depicting the boat afloat before an explosion engulfed it in flames. Officials described the vessel as part of ongoing efforts to interdict narcotics bound for the United States but have not released evidence confirming the presence of drugs on the targeted boats.

The strikes coincide with a significant U.S. military buildup in the region, the largest in decades, which preceded a January raid that led to the capture of former...