The United States Southern Command (Southcom) reported that U.S. armed forces committed further extrajudicial killings by attacking two vessels and killing five men on board in the Pacific Ocean. The boats, allegedly linked to drug trafficking , were intercepted on known routes in the Eastern Pacific and bombed under the assumption that they belonged to designated terrorist organizations.

The first boat had three crew members: two died and one survived. Southcom notified the Coast Guard to activate search and rescue protocols for the survivor. All three occupants of the second boat died as a result of the bombing.

Under the slogan “applying total systemic friction to the cartels ,” Southern Command released a 34-second video showing the detonations of both vessels while underway. These actions are part of Operation Southern Spear, implemented since last September in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.

The U.S. has bombed dozens of vessels despite the deployment of force in these scenarios, which would allow it to intercept these naval assets, seize the illicit cargo they allegedly carry, and save the lives of the people on board in order to later prosecute them.

Since the start of this campaign, which Washington justifies as an effort to curb the flow of narcotics, US forces have killed at least 168 people and destroyed 50 vessels , according to official records and analysis of search and rescue data.

Reports indicate that this crime spree has left at least 15 survivors, two of whom were briefly detained by the U.S. Navy before being repatriated. An additional 11 people are presumed dead after not being located during search efforts in the water.