WASHINGTON, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military said on Tuesday that it struck a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing one person and leaving two survivors.
"Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by designated terrorist organizations," U.S. Southern Command said in a post on X.
"Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations," said the command, while experts and human rights advocates have questioned the legality of such strikes.
The latest attack brings the death toll from U.S. military boat strikes to at least 208 since the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump began targeting "narcoterrorists" in early September last year, according to an AP report. ■
