The United States Southern Command reported on its social media that it had attacked three vessels in the Eastern Pacific as part of operations against boats allegedly transporting drugs. According to their version, and without providing any evidence to support it, these vessels “were linked to drug trafficking and were operated by organizations classified as terrorists.”

The operation resulted in eight deaths, in a new phase of the campaign that Washington is promoting to curb drug trafficking in international waters.

In the message published on the social network out lethal kinetic attacks against three vessels operated by designated terrorist organizations in international waters. Trump's administration to weaken maritime routes used by criminal organizations to transport narcotics to the United States. According to official figures, to date, at least 95 people have died in similar operations against vessels suspected of drug trafficking. Southern Command noted that just last December 4, US forces attacked another boat in the Eastern Pacific, in an operation that left four people dead. Authorities maintain that these actions are carried out in international waters and under legal frameworks that allow the use of force against threats considered transnational. However, the intensification of the attacks has generated concern among analysts and civil organizations, who warn about the risks of a militarized strategy against drug trafficking and the lack of independent information confirming the identity of those killed at sea.