US 'Southern Spear' Operation Kills Another; Death Toll Reaches 193

The US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) stated that the US military attacked a drug smuggling vessel in the Eastern Pacific today, resulting in one death and two people stranded at sea. The US Southern Command posted on the social media platform X: 'One male drug terrorist was killed in this operation, and there are two other survivors.' The post also stated that the military 'immediately notified the US Coast Guard to activate the search and rescue system to rescue the survivors.' The US Coast Guard did not immediately respond to AFP's inquiry regarding the rescue operation. According to AFP statistics, this is one of dozens of similar operations by the US in recent months, and the death toll from this wave of US military operations has reached at least 193. The US Southern Command accused the targeted vessel in the post of being 'operated by a group designated as a terrorist organization' and 'transporting drugs along known drug smuggling routes in the Eastern Pacific.' The grainy black-and-white video attached to the post shows a portion of the targeted vessel obscured by a black box before the attack, followed by a massive explosion, leaving only smoking wreckage on the water's surface. No survivors were visible in the video. The US operation, dubbed 'Southern Spear,' began in early September last year, and President Donald Trump insists that the US is essentially at war with drug cartels from Latin America engaged in drug trafficking. However, the Trump administration has never provided clear evidence that the attacked vessels were indeed involved in drug smuggling. Legal experts and human rights groups point out that these attacks may constitute extrajudicial killings, as the targets appear to be civilians who do not pose an immediate threat to the United States.