A screenshot from a video shared by U.S. Southern Command shows an alleged narco-trafficking boat moments before the military struck it with a missile. U.S. Southern Command said that the boat was actively involved in narco-trafficking, according to its intelligence. (U.S. Southern Command)
The U.S. military on Wednesday killed three people it said were involved in narcotrafficking. The group was traveling on a boat in the Caribbean Sea.
“Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere executed a lethal kinetic strike on a go-fast vessel operating along established narco-trafficking routes,” U.S. Southern Command wrote in a news release.
U.S. Southern Command said that the boat was actively involved in narcotrafficking, according to “confirmed intelligence.” An unclassified video of the strike was included with the news release.
The death toll from the Trump administration’s year-long campaign to stop alleged traffickers in Latin America has reached at least 230 after more than 70 strikes.
In the previous six interactions with alleged drug boats before Wednesday’s lethal strike, the military removed crews before it sank their boats with missile strikes, resulting in no casualties.
On Aug. 28 and Sept. 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8, the military shared in posts to X that they boarded refueling stations, apprehended the passengers and handed them over to Ecuadorian authorities.
Videos of the missile strikes used to sink the boats were also shared to X.
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