The US military said it carried out a strike on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea on Saturday, killing four people allegedly involved in drug trafficking. The operation is part of the Trump administration’s months-long campaign against suspected drug traffickers in Latin America, according to the Associated Press.
In a statement, the US military said the vessel was travelling along a known drug-trafficking route. However, the military did not release evidence showing that drugs were actually being transported on the boat.
The latest strike comes amid a broader US military campaign targeting alleged “narco-terrorists.” According to sources familiar with the operations, at least 231 people have been killed in 69 strikes across the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific over roughly the past year.
Video released by the US Southern Command shows a moving vessel followed by what appears to be a flash or explosion.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is seeking agreements with allied countries to expand operations against criminal groups on land in other parts of Latin America.
During a visit to Panama last month, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras had agreed to conduct joint military operations with the United States against criminal groups on their territory. Guatemala, however, has denied reaching any such agreement.
The latest operation is likely to draw further scrutiny over the US military’s expanding role in counter-narcotics operations in the region, particularly regarding the evidence used to identify targeted vessels and the legal basis for the strikes.
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