3 killed as US targets another suspected drug vessel in Pacific: Pentagon

The Pentagon said on Sunday that US forces carried out another deadly strike on a suspected drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific, killing three people aboard in what has become one of Washington’s most aggressive maritime counterdrug campaigns in decades.

According to US Southern Command, the operation took place on Saturday when a small vessel travelling along a known narcotics route was targeted by Joint Task Force Southern Spear. "Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics," the command said in a statement posted on social media.

It added that the boat was operating in international waters at the time of the strike.

The attack marks the 21st known US strike on alleged drug boats since early September, part of a rapid escalation that has killed at least 83 people, based on Pentagon figures. The Trump administration has defended the operations as necessary to disrupt drug shipments headed toward the United States.

US Southern Command also released video footage on Sunday showing the suspected drug vessel being blown up at sea. The clip, shared on X, depicts the explosion that officials said killed three men aboard. The command has not released details about the nationality or identity of the dead, and further information was not immediately available.

The Pentagon has not indicated whether more strikes are planned, but officials said the mission would continue "as long as necessary" to disrupt maritime drug routes.

The strikes have triggered scrutiny from lawmakers, human rights organisations and foreign partners, who say the legal basis for using lethal force outside traditional combat zones is unclear.

The administration maintains it has full legal authority to carry out the strikes. Despite pushback, US operations in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific have expanded at a pace not seen in years. Washington has framed the campaign as a counterdrug effort, but several allies have privately expressed concern about the impact of the strikes on regional stability and maritime safety.

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Tension in the region is likely to flare up with the arrival of the nation’s most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, in the Caribbean Sea. The Navy announced that the carrier -- accompanied by warships, aircraft squadrons and thousands of personnel -- has joined Operation Southern Spear, making it the largest US military presence in the region in generations.

The deployment has raised questions about possible broader strategic aims in South America, especially as Washington continues to pressure the government of Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro. The administration insists the mission is focused solely on counterdrug enforcement, but the size and composition of the force have fuelled speculation among regional observers.

According to the Navy, the Ford transited the Anegada Passage near the British Virgin Islands on Sunday morning. The carrier strike group now includes nearly a dozen ships and about 12,000 sailors and Marines, alongside fighter jets and guided-missile destroyers.

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With inputs from agencies