US Military Boat Strikes Kill 205 in Pacific Campaign, May 31

The U.S. military killed three more people in a boat strike in the eastern Pacific on Saturday, bringing the death toll from a nine-month campaign to 205. The Trump administration declared it is in armed conflict with Latin American drug cartels and has conducted at least 60 strikes. Legal experts say the strikes are illegal extrajudicial killings that violate international law.

Campaign Accelerates With Four Strikes in One Week

The U.S. military carried out four boat strikes between May 26 and May 31, killing nine people total. The latest strike on Saturday killed three men on a vessel the military said was transiting narco-trafficking routes in the eastern Pacific. U.S. Southern Command, led by Gen. Francis L. Donovan, released video footage of each strike on social media showing small boats being hit and engulfed in fireballs.

Military Provides No Evidence for Drug Trafficking Claims

U.S. Southern Command announced each strike using identical language claiming vessels were operated by designated terrorist organizations and engaged in narco-trafficking operations. The military provided no evidence to support these allegations. The campaign began in early September with strikes in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific.

Legal Experts Call Strikes Illegal Extrajudicial Killings

Former Human Rights Watch director Kenneth Roth called the strikes “blatant murders” and summary executions. Legal experts say the military cannot deliberately target civilians, even suspected criminals, who do not pose an imminent threat. Ryan Goodman, editor-in-chief of Just Security and New York University law professor, said the overwhelming consensus assesses these to be murder because no armed conflict exists. The Pentagon’s watchdog announced it will review whether the military followed established targeting procedures, though the evaluation will not address the legality of the strikes.

Prior Incident Raised Questions About Follow-Up Strikes

In September, two people survived the first boat attack only to be targeted again in a follow-up strike and killed. Legal experts said this violated laws governing armed conflict. The Trump administration has justified the campaign by claiming the cartels are behind the flow of drugs into American communities.

Final Thoughts

The U.S. military campaign has killed 205 people in nine months with no evidence provided for drug trafficking claims. Legal experts overwhelmingly call the strikes illegal extrajudicial killings that violate international law.

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