U.S. Kills 11 In Three Strikes On Suspected Narco Boats
U.S. Southern Command said strikes on three vessels late on Feb. 16 killed 11 alleged narco‑terrorists in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.
Overview
U.S. Southern Command said it conducted lethal strikes on three vessels late on Feb. 16, killing 11 people it described as "male narco‑terrorists".
The strikes followed the departure of the aircraft carrier Gerald Ford from the Caribbean, which had been deployed in October as part of Operation Southern Spear.
Legal experts and Democratic lawmakers have called the attacks extrajudicial killings that deny due process, and two families from Trinidad and Tobago have filed a U.S. lawsuit over earlier strikes, according to reporting.
U.S. officials have acknowledged roughly 40 to 42 strikes since early September that have killed roughly 145 to 150 people, and some lawmakers have sought investigations or attempted to halt the operations.
Officials said U.S. pressure prompted Mexican lawmakers to greenlight a joint exercise between U.S. Navy SEAL Team 2 and the Mexican Navy scheduled to continue through April.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as contested and legally fraught by foregrounding military claims while immediately highlighting lack of independent verification and critics’ concerns. Editorial choices — repeated 'alleged' qualifiers, selection of legal experts, inclusion of past incidents (survivor strike, lawsuits), and emphasis on casualty tallies — produce skepticism toward administration actions.
Sources (12)
FAQ
U.S. Southern Command's Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted three lethal kinetic strikes: 4 narco-terrorists killed on the first vessel in the Eastern Pacific, 4 on the second in the Eastern Pacific, and 3 on the third in the Caribbean. The vessels were on known narco-trafficking routes.
The strikes were directed by Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command. Intelligence confirmed the vessels were operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations, transiting narco-trafficking routes and engaged in narco-trafficking operations.
U.S. officials acknowledged roughly 40 to 42 strikes since early September, killing approximately 145 to 150 people.
Legal experts and Democratic lawmakers have called the attacks extrajudicial killings denying due process. Two families from Trinidad and Tobago filed a U.S. lawsuit over earlier strikes, and some lawmakers have sought investigations or to halt the operations.
The strikes followed the departure of the aircraft carrier Gerald Ford from the Caribbean, deployed in October for Operation Southern Spear. U.S. pressure also prompted Mexican lawmakers to approve a joint exercise with U.S. Navy SEAL Team 2 and the Mexican Navy through April.
History
8 sources