The U.S. military said it killed two people in a strike on an alleged drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Monday, bringing the death toll to at least 170 since strikes began last September.
U.S. Southern Command, which is responsible for Washington’s forces in the region, said in a post on X that “the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations.”
“Two male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed,” the post said.
CBS News reached out to U.S. Southern Command for evidence of narco-terror operations by the vessel.
A spokesperson replied that they rely on “a rigorous process of intelligence gathering and analysis, which may include multi-source intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance to confirm illicit activity” prior to any operation.
“In this instance, the vessel in question was identified through coordinated intelligence efforts as operating along established narco-trafficking routes and was assessed to be engaged in activities consistent with narco-trafficking operations,” the spokesperson said, adding, “For operational security reasons, we cannot discuss specific sources or methods.”
The latest strike comes two days after U.S. military strikes killed five people in two boats, also in the eastern Pacific. One person survived those strikes, U.S. Southern Command said.