The US military has carried out another strike on a suspected drug smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three men and bringing the overall death toll above 200 people. This is the third such attack this week in the Trump administration's campaign against alleged drug trafficking vessels.
US Southern Command announced the strike on Friday, stating that the vessel was engaged in narco-trafficking operations and operated by a designated terrorist organisation. However, no evidence was provided to support these claims. The attack was directed by General Francis L Donovan, the top US commander in Latin America, who also met with Cuban military leaders near Guantánamo Bay on the same day.
The military released a colour video of the strike, showing a small vessel being hit and engulfed in a fireball, with debris scattered in the water. This appears to be the first colour footage released, as previous videos were in black and white.
The death toll now stands at 202 people since the strikes began in early September. The Trump administration has declared an armed conflict with Latin American drug cartels, blaming them for the flow of drugs into the US. However, critics question the legality of the operations, with Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International describing them as unlawful extrajudicial killings. The American Civil Liberties Union has dismissed the administration's assertions as unsubstantiated and fear-mongering.
