U.S. Strike Kills Five Aboard Pacific Vessel; 240 Dead in Campaign

The U.S. military killed five people Tuesday aboard a vessel in the eastern Pacific, part of a months-long campaign against suspected drug-trafficking ships that has produced at least 240 deaths from more than 70 strikes, according to The Associated Press. U.S. Southern Command said Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere carried out the strike under its direction against a go-fast vessel operating along established narco-trafficking routes.

Southcom said confirmed intelligence indicated the vessel was actively involved in narco-trafficking, and it identified those killed as narco-terrorists. Video released by the command shows a vessel in the water before it erupts into a fireball. The command did not specify the location beyond the eastern Pacific, and it did not identify those killed or provide evidence that the vessel was carrying narcotics. Military statements and videos throughout the campaign have described those aboard as narco-terrorists or alleged links to designated terrorist organizations.

The strikes have drawn questions from lawmakers, legal experts and human rights groups about the legal basis for using lethal military force against suspected traffickers outside a traditional battlefield. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month that the U.S. was increasingly seeking to conduct counter-narcotics operations with regional allies and in accordance with their laws. He told reporters that while the U.S. has "the capacity to act unilaterally," working with allies is "the most effective way to do it."

Rubio also said the military would "still blow up ships if need be" and that decisions would be made on "a strike-by-strike or operation-by-operation" basis. Southcom has in recent months released videos of personnel intercepting and boarding vessels it described as involved in narco-trafficking before removing crews and sinking the boats.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.