US strike on Pacific drug boat kills 2 in renewed campaign
Why it matters: The attack pushed the reported death toll in the yearlong boat-strike campaign above 210 as legal scrutiny grows.
The U.S. military struck a low-profile vessel in the eastern Pacific on Sunday, killing two people it accused of drug trafficking in the first publicly announced attack in about two months. U.S. Southern Command said the boat was operating on established narcotics routes, but, as in most past cases, the Pentagon did not release evidence publicly.
The latest strike lifts the reported death toll in the nearly yearlong campaign to more than 210 across more than 60 attacks in the eastern Pacific and the Caribbean, according to PBS NewsHour. The operation came as the Trump administration seeks to widen cooperation with Latin American partners for joint action against criminal groups. The campaign has drawn criticism from some Democratic lawmakers and military legal scholars, and the Pentagon inspector general said in May it would review whether targeting procedures were followed.