US Coast Guard Searches for Survivors After Military Strikes on Suspected Drug Vessels in the Pacific Ocean
The US Coast Guard is actively searching for survivors following a US military strike on a convoy of three suspected drug vessels in the Pacific Ocean. According to Southern Command, three narco-terrorists aboard the first vessel were killed during the operation, while the other two vessels were abandoned and sank during subsequent engagements. On the same day, a separate strike on two additional vessels resulted in five fatalities.
An anonymous US official reported that eight people abandoned their vessels as a result of these strikes. The Coast Guard has deployed a C-130 aircraft to search for survivors and is coordinating with nearby vessels to aid in the effort.
These strikes form part of a broader campaign led by the Trump administration aimed at cutting off illegal drug supplies, with more than 30 strikes carried out since September resulting in at least 110 deaths. However, legal experts and Democratic lawmakers have raised questions regarding the legality of these military actions.
Previous incidents related to this campaign include survivors being repatriated following a US strike in October, a later October search initiated by Mexican authorities after a different strike left a survivor unaccounted for, and a September attack followed by a second strike on a vessel that had two survivors.
