US military kills 4 in strike on suspected drug boat

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military killed four men in a strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific, the U.S. Southern Command said on Tuesday.

Based on intelligence assessments, the boat was operating along a known drug-trafficking route and was believed to be involved in narcotics smuggling, SOUTHCOM said in a post on X.

Under orders from President Donald Trump, the U.S. military has carried out lethal strikes since September 2025 against vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific suspected of transporting drugs to the United States.

According to official figures, more than 160 people have already been killed in such strikes.

The U.S. faces a significant drug problem, which authorities often attribute to foreign trafficking networks.

Critics say the deadly attacks in international waters violate international law.

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This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 8:47 PM.