US military kills four in strike on alleged drug smuggling boat in Caribbean

Number of people killed in boat strikes rises to 227 since Trump administration began controversial campaign The US military killed four people when it attacked a suspected drug smuggling boat in the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday as the Trump administration’s controversial campaign against alleged traffickers continues. The latest attack brings the number of those killed in boat strikes by the US military to at least 227 in 68 strikes since the US began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” almost a year ago. As with most of the military’s statements on strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, US Southern Command said it targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. The military did not provide evidence the vessel was ferrying drugs. A video posted on X showed what appeared to be a moving boat followed by a flash. The attacks have been condemned as extrajudicial killings by the UN and other humanitarian organisations. According to a 2020 report by the US Drug Enforcement Administration, 74% of the cocaine reaching the US arrived through the Pacific while only 8% came from fast boats from the Caribbean. Critics have questioned the overall legalit