U.S. launches another strike against alleged drug boat, killing four

The U.S. military struck another alleged drug vessel in the eastern Pacific on Wednesday night, bringing the total killed to 61.

“This vessel, like all the others, was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on social media.

Mr. Hegseth said four “narco-terrorists” on board were killed.

The latest strike, at the direction of the president, is part of a U.S. campaign against seaborne drug trafficking.

On Monday, the U.S. military struck a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Pacific, killing 14 people, according to Mr. Hegseth.

At least 61 people have been killed since September in more than a dozen U.S. attacks on boats that were allegedly carrying narcotics in international waters. The Trump administration has not presented proof that the vessels were carrying illegal drugs.

The strikes have raised questions about their legality. The Trump administration, which told Congress that it is waging war against narcoterrorism, has justified the operations by designating Latin American drug cartels as terrorist organizations.

The U.S. has been steadily building up a military force in the Caribbean, including deploying the world’s largest warship, the USS Gerald R Ford.

“The Western Hemisphere is no longer a safe haven for narco-terrorists bringing drugs to our shores to poison Americans,” Mr. Hegseth said. “The Department of War will continue to hunt them down and eliminate them wherever they operate.”