The moment the US destroys a suspected drug-trafficking ship in an attack that leaves three dead
The US military announced on Friday a new attack in the Pacific Ocean, part of a military campaign by the Trump administration against ships suspected of drug trafficking, according to AFP, quoted by News.ro.
“The vessel was traveling on a known drug-trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in drug-trafficking operations,” the US Latin America and Caribbean Command (Southcom) wrote on X.
The moment the vessel at rest on the ocean is engulfed in a powerful explosion has been captured in a color video. Later, close-up footage shows the burnt debris sinking.
On May 29, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking… pic.twitter.com/ynibuPqDd3
— US Southern Command (@Southcom) May 30, 2026
This strike resulted in three deaths. It is the third deadly attack this week, bringing the total number of deaths to 198 since the start of the military campaign in September, according to an AFP tally.
Since September, the United States has been waging a campaign of airstrikes against vessels Washington has described as belonging to drug traffickers, which have caused casualties in the Caribbean and Pacific.
To date, the Trump administration has not presented evidence of the ships' involvement in drug trafficking. UN officials and experts consider these actions extrajudicial executions. Their legality will be investigated by an internal Pentagon body, as the American media reported last week.
