Two dead and one survivor after new US attack against a ship in the Eastern Pacific
Southern Command immediately notified the US Coast Guard to activate the survivor's search-and-rescue system
The US military's latest attack on an alleged drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific left two men dead on Friday, leaving one survivor.
A video posted on social media by the US Southern Command shows a black ship-shaped image before what appears to be an explosion, followed by a pillar of fire rising from the ocean.
The Southern Command stated that it “immediately notified the US Coast Guard to activate the survivor search and rescue system.”
It did not provide details about the rescue or the survivor's status.
The White House announced Wednesday that President Trump approved a new U.S. counterterrorism strategy that makes eliminating drug cartels in the Western Hemisphere the administration's top priority.
The Trump government campaign to destroy alleged drug trafficking vessels in Latin American waters, including the Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean Sea, has maintained since early September and has left at least 192 dead in total.
At the time, Trump has pressured regional leaders to collaborate closely with the United States in the fight against cartels and take action military ones against drug traffickers and transnational gangs who, according to him, represent an “unacceptable threat” to the national security of the hemisphere.