US military sinks suspected drug boat in Pacific, three survive strike

The US military sank a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the eastern Pacific, with three survivors rescued, as officials confirmed dozens of similar strikes since 2025 amid growing debate over their effectiveness and human rights implications.

Washington: The US military sank an alleged drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific, and three people aboard survived the strike, the US Southern Command said.

“Intelligence confirmed the low-profile vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” the command said in a press release on Friday (local time), accusing the boat of being “operated by Designated Terrorist Organisations.”

---

“Following the engagement, USSOUTHCOM immediately notified the US Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivors. No US military forces were harmed,” said the statement.

Since September 2025, the US military has conducted 46 known airstrikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats and killed at least 157 people aboard, reports Xinhua news agency.

Commander of US Southern Command Francis Donovan told the Senate Armed Services Committee at a hearing on Thursday that the airstrikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats “aren’t the answer” to US drug problems.

“Looking forward, senator — the boat strikes aren’t the answer,” Donovan said at the hearing. “I believe that actually kinetic strikes will be one of the many tools, and probably not the most effective tool, when we actually look at it as more of a campaign approach.”

Earlier this month, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights held a hearing in Guatemala City on the legality of US boat strikes in the Caribbean and their impact on communities across Latin America, according to a news release from the American Civil Liberties Union.

Earlier on March 8, the US forces struck an alleged drug boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing six men.

In February, three vessels were struck by the US military in the eastern Pacific and the Caribbean, killing 11 people.