U.S. military strikes alleged drug boat in eastern Pacific, killing 4

The U.S. military struck an alleged drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific on Tuesday, marking the third consecutive day of such operations and killing four men on board, the U.S. Southern Command said.



"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 on social platform X.



"Four male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed," it added, without providing evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs.



U.S. forces sank two suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Eastern Pacific in the past two days, killing seven people in total, the command said.



Since early September, the U.S. military has conducted roughly 50 known airstrikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats and killed at least 174 people aboard.