U.S. Kills 3 in Latest Boat Strike

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The U.S. military announced it had blown up a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three people. This strike raised the death toll in the American campaign against suspected drug smugglers at sea to at least 147. Legal specialists have said the strikes are illegal extrajudicial killings because the military cannot deliberately target civilians who do not pose an imminent threat, even if they are suspected of criminal acts.

Why it matters

The U.S. military's campaign of lethal force against suspected drug smugglers at sea has drawn criticism from legal experts who argue the strikes violate international laws around the use of force. This latest incident adds to the growing controversy surrounding the program and raises further questions about its legality and oversight.

The details

The U.S. Southern Command announced the strike on social media, providing a 16-second video clip that showed a stationary boat floating in the water suddenly exploding. The Southern Command cited unspecified intelligence in its announcement, stating that all three boats had been traveling on 'known narco-trafficking routes' and were 'engaged in narco-trafficking operations.' This attack was the 43rd since the American campaign against the boats in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific started in early September, continuing a recent increase in the pace of strikes.

• The U.S. military has carried out strikes every three or four days since the new leader of the Southern Command, Gen. Francis L. Donovan of the Marine Corps, took over last month after the previous commander, Adm. Alvin Holsey, abruptly retired.
• The American campaign against the boats in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific started in early September.