The US military struck an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific, killing five people. The operation intensified scrutiny over evidence, legality and the campaign's effectiveness.Stock photo used for illustrationWashington,Oct 27, 2026 23:18 ISTThe US military said it attacked a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, accusing it of smuggling drugs and killing five people, news agency Press Trust of India reported.
The strike was part of the Trump administration's campaign against alleged drug traffickers in Latin America.The latest attack took the number of people killed in more than 70 US military boat strikes to at least 240. The Trump administration began targeting people it calls “narcoterrorists” in September 2025.US Southern Command said the boat was targeted along known smuggling routes and that “intelligence revealed the vessel's active involvement in narcotrafficking”, according to PTI.
Similar claims have been made in most military statements about strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.The military did not provide evidence that the boat was carrying drugs. A video posted on X showed a small boat in the water before it was engulfed by an explosion.
President Donald Trump has said the US is in an “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America. He has sought to justify the attacks as necessary to curb the flow of drugs into the US and prevent fatal overdoses.
However, his administration has provided little evidence to support its claims that those killed were “narcoterrorists”.Critics have questioned the legality and effectiveness of the strikes. They have pointed out that fentanyl linked to many fatal overdoses is typically smuggled into the US by land from Mexico, where it is produced using chemicals imported from China and India.
The strikes have faced scrutiny from some Democratic lawmakers and experts in military law. The US military's first strike drew particular concern after two men initially survived an attack that killed nine others and were left clinging to the wreckage.
The vessel was then struck again, killing them.The White House confirmed the follow-up strike, saying it was carried out “in self-defense” to ensure that the boat was destroyed and was in accordance with the laws of armed conflict. However, some legal scholars said a second strike that killed survivors would have been illegal under any circumstances, regardless of whether an armed conflict existed.The Pentagon's watchdog said in May that it planned to examine whether the US military followed its established targeting process while carrying out the strikes.
The review will cover a military commander's intent, target development and execution, but will not examine the legality of the attacks.The latest strike killed five people and raised the reported toll from the US campaign against alleged drug-smuggling boats to at least 240, amid continuing questions over the evidence, legality and effectiveness of the operations.With PTI Inputs- Ends