US conducts 20th strike on alleged drug-trafficking boat

The US military carried out its 20th strike against an alleged drug-trafficking vessel earlier this week, a spokesperson at the United States Department of Defense (DoD) confirmed on Thursday.

The strike took place in the Caribbean Sea on Monday and resulted in the deaths of four individuals aboard the vessel—described by the DoD as “narco-terrorists.”

According to official statements, the precise identities of those aboard the targeted boat were not known in advance, as per CNN.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has also announced on X "Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR". Led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and Southern Command.

"This mission defends our Homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people. The Western Hemisphere is America’s neighborhood – and we will protect it," he stated.

That acknowledgement mirrors earlier disclosure from the Pete Hegseth-led Deparment of Defence (DoD), which had flagged two preceding strikes (the 18th and 19th) on Sunday, each targeting separate vessels with three people aboard, all of whom Hegseth said were killed.

In social media posts on the platform X, Secretary Hegseth described the earlier strikes as having eliminated six “male narco-terrorists” on those two vessels, and emphasised that no US personnel were harmed.

With this 20th strike, the cumulative death toll from the US campaign against suspected narcotics-trafficking vessels is now reported at approximately 80, as per CBS News.

The campaign has involved fighter jets, drones and gunships, according to media reporting, and is framed by the US as a mission to disrupt the flow of illicit drugs into US territory.

However, legal experts and international observers have raised serious questions about the operations.

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has warned of “strong indications” that some strikes may amount to extrajudicial killings, given the limited transparency around whether those targeted were combatants or civilians.

The campaign has also created diplomatic friction.

The United Kingdom announced that it would suspend intelligence sharing with the US about suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean, citing concerns about being complicit in strikes that may violate international law, Stars and Stripes reported.

Meanwhile, the President of Colombia directed his government to suspend intelligence cooperation with the US until the attacks cease.