US strike on alleged drug boat kills two people in eastern Pacific Ocean The US military killed two men during an operation against a boat accused of drug smuggling in the eastern Pacific Ocean. This incident raises the death toll to at least 207 people since the administration began targeting alleged “narcoterrorists” in September. Critics question the legality and effectiveness of these strikes, especially as fentanyl is often trafficked overland from Mexico.

• The US military attacked a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in the deaths of two men. The boat was accused of smuggling drugs.
• This strike brings the total number of people killed in similar US military operations to at least 207 since early September.
• US Southern Command stated the target was along known smuggling routes, but did not provide evidence the vessel was carrying drugs.
• Critics question the legality and effectiveness of the boat strikes, noting that fentanyl often enters the US via land routes from Mexico.
• Concerns were previously raised about a strike where survivors clinging to wreckage were killed in a second attack, which the White House defended as self-defense.
• The Pentagon’s watchdog is investigating the targeting framework used for these strikes, but not their overall legality.