US Strike in Pacific: Deaths Reported in Alleged Drug Trafficker Hit

At least six people have been killed in a new US air strike in the Pacific, against a speedboat allegedly carrying drug traffickers. The strike is part of an ongoing operation against cartels that has lasted more than seven months.

The US armed forces' SOUTHCOM announced via X that the death toll since September 2025 has exceeded 150. The victims were on speedboats allegedly used for drug trafficking.

SOUTHCOM claimed that intelligence confirmed the vessel was moving along drug trafficking routes in the eastern Pacific. An 11-second video of the strike was released with the post.

The legality of the operation is being questioned internationally, as no irrefutable evidence has been presented regarding the vessels' involvement in drug trafficking. Experts and UN officials have denounced extrajudicial executions.