US Military Kills Five in Eastern Pacific Drug Vessel Strikes Amid Controversy

The U.S. military, under President Donald Trump's administration, has expanded its counter-narcotics campaign by conducting lethal strikes against suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing five individuals in two recent attacks. These operations mark a shift from previous strikes mostly in the Caribbean to targeting key narcotics trafficking routes off South America, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth describing the drug cartels as "narco-terrorists" and equating them to terrorist groups like Al Qaeda. The campaign has been heavily criticized by Latin American leaders, such as Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who called the strikes "murder" and accused the U.S. of violating international law, while Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa expressed support for the operations amid his own anti-gang efforts. Legal experts have questioned the use of the military rather than the Coast Guard for these maritime interdictions and criticized the lack of clear legal justification for lethal force in international waters, with some characterizing the strikes as extrajudicial executions. President Trump has defended the strikes as legally authorized and aimed at protecting American lives, also hinting at possible future ground strikes in Venezuela, amid a significant U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean region. Videos released by the Pentagon show the destruction of the vessels and packages in the water, underscoring the administration's aggressive approach to combating drug trafficking.