US military strike on alleged drug boat kills 2 in eastern Pacific

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. subject said it launched different onslaught Friday connected a vessel accused of ferrying drugs successful the eastbound Pacific Ocean, sidesplitting 2 people.

The Trump administration's run of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels successful Latin American waters has persisted since aboriginal September and killed astatine slightest 183 radical successful total. Other strikes person taken spot successful the Caribbean Sea.

The subject has not provided grounds that immoderate of the vessels were carrying drugs.

The attacks began arsenic the U.S. built up its largest subject beingness successful the portion successful generations and came months up of the raid successful January that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He was brought to New York to look cause trafficking charges and has pleaded not guilty.

In the latest onslaught Friday, U.S. Southern Command repeated erstwhile statements by saying it had targeted the alleged cause traffickers on known smuggling routes. It posted a video connected X showing a vessel floating successful the h2o earlier a detonation near it successful flames.

President Donald 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.

Critics, meanwhile, person questioned the wide legality of the vessel strikes.

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