1 hour ago
5
The latest U.S. strike connected an alleged cause boat killed 1 and near 2 survivors successful the eastbound Pacific, U.S. Southern Command said Tuesday night.
As with erstwhile strikes, SOUTHCOM alleged connected social media that the vessel was "operated by Designated Terrorist Organization," was "transiting on known narco-trafficking routes" and was "engaged successful narco-trafficking operations." The military's station included video, which showed a onslaught connected a boat, which appeared to interruption into 2 smoldering pieces.
SOUTHCOM said it "immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue strategy for the survivors."
The Trump administration's campaign of striking boats it claims are trafficking drugs successful Latin American waters, including the eastbound Pacific and the Caribbean Sea, began successful aboriginal September. At slightest 193 radical person been killed successful the campaign.
The subject has not provided grounds that immoderate of the vessels were carrying drugs. A spokesperson for U.S. Southern Command antecedently told CBS News: "For operational information reasons, we cannot sermon circumstantial sources oregon methods."
President Trump has said the U.S. is successful "armed conflict" with cartels successful Latin America and has justified the attacks arsenic a indispensable escalation to stem the travel of drugs into the United States. Earlier this month, the White House announced Mr. Trump had signed disconnected connected a caller U.S. counterterrorism strategy that sets eliminating cause cartels successful the Western Hemisphere arsenic the administration's highest priority.
Mr. Trump has besides sought to property determination leaders to enactment much intimately with the U.S. to people cartels and instrumentality subject enactment themselves against cause traffickers and transnational gangs that helium says airs an "unacceptable threat" to the hemisphere's nationalist security.
Critics, meanwhile, person questioned the wide legality of the vessel strikes.
The archetypal onslaught successful the run occurred connected Sept. 2. In aboriginal December, however, the Trump medication came nether dense scrutiny after it confirmed a Washington Post study that successful that Sept. 2 attack, the U.S. had conducted a follow-on strike, oregon "double tap," that killed 2 survivors of the archetypal onslaught connected the vessel.
Some lawmakers questioned whether the follow-on onslaught constituted a warfare crime.
In:
English (US) ·