The U.S. military conducted an operation in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, targeting a boat involved in drug smuggling. The attack resulted in the deaths of four individuals. This action occurred on the same day that the House of Representatives rejected attempts to limit President Donald Trump’s authority to use military force against drug cartels.
According to the U.S. Southern Command, the targeted vessel was operated by narco-terrorists along a well-known trafficking route. While the military did not provide specific evidence to support the allegations, they released a video showing the boat moving on the water before being hit by an explosion.
This recent incident marked the 26th known boat strike by the U.S. military, resulting in the deaths of at least 99 individuals, as reported by the Trump administration. President Trump has defended these strikes as necessary measures to combat the drug flow into the U.S., claiming that the country is in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels.
Lawmakers have raised concerns about the administration’s boat strike campaign, with particular focus on the first attack in September that led to the deaths of two survivors who were clinging to the wreckage after the initial strike. House Republicans rejected Democratic proposals that would have required congressional authorization for further military actions against cartels. This marks the first House votes on Trump’s military operations in Central and South America. Despite some Senate Republicans voting against similar resolutions earlier, it is likely that Trump would veto any such measures if they were to pass Congress.