Death Toll From US Boat Strikes Inches Closer to 200

The US military said it launched another strike on Friday on a boat accused of ferrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people. The Trump administration's campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has persisted since early September and killed at least 183 people in total. Other strikes have taken place in the Caribbean Sea. The military hasn't provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs, per the AP.

The attacks under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth began as the US built up its largest military presence in the region in generations, coming months ahead of the raid in January that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He was brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges and has pleaded not guilty. In the latest attack on Friday, US Southern Command repeated previous statements by saying it had targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes.

SOUTHCOM posted a video on X showing a boat floating in the water before an explosion left it in flames. President Trump has said the US is in "armed conflict" with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States.