WASHINGTON: US for­c­es on Friday launched a st­r­­i­ke against alleged dr­ug traffickers in the Eas­­t­ern Pacific, killing three people, the military said.

“Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Design­ated Terrorist Organisa­tions” along an apparent narco-trafficking route, the US Southern Command posted on X, adding that “three male narco-terrorists were killed during this action.” The post included black and white video of the strike that showed an aerial view of a boat before it is bombed and engulfed in flames.

The United States began targeting alleged smuggling boats in early September, killing nearly 150 people in total and destroying dozens of vessels since then.

Under President Donald Trump, the United States has routinely conducted these strikes without offering definitive evidence of illegal activity, leading legal experts to raise concerns that the deaths could be considered extra-judicial killings.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2026