US Strike on Alleged Drug Boat Raises Death Toll to 70

The United States carried out a strike on an alleged drug-trafficking boat in the Caribbean Sea, killing three people, according to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

That brings the death toll from the US maritime campaign against drug vessels to at least 70.

The operation targeted a vessel described as being operated by a “Designated Terrorist Organisation,” the United States said.

The strikes are part of a broader effort that has destroyed at least 18 vessels since the campaign began.

Legal and human-rights experts are raising concerns about the lack of transparency, evidence of actual drug-trafficking, and the legal basis for using lethal force in international waters.