WASHINGTON — The US military said it launched another strike on a boat accused of ferrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea, killing three people Sunday (April 19).
The Trump administration's campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has persisted since early September and killed at least 181 people in total.
Other strikes have taken place in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Despite the Iran war, the series of strikes have ramped up again in the past week or so, showing that the administration's aggressive measures to stop what it calls "narcoterrorism" in the western hemisphere are not letting up.
The military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs.
The attacks began as the US built up its largest military presence in the region in generations and came months ahead of the raid in January that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
He was brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges and has pleaded not guilty.
In the latest attack Sunday, US Southern Command repeated previous statements by saying it had targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes.
It posted a video on X showing a boat moving along the water before a massive explosion engulfs the vessel in flames.
@asiaone At least 181 people have been killed in similar strikes across the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea since September 2025. The US military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs. #news #USA #LatinAmerica #Military ♬ original sound - AsiaOne
President Donald Trump has said the US is in "armed conflict" with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the US and fatal overdoses claiming American lives.
But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing "narcoterrorists".
Critics, meanwhile, have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes.
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