US attacks at sea
US military kills five alleged drug smugglers in the Pacific
Updated April 13, 2026 – 2:39 amReading time: 1 min.
Recently there have been fewer fatal US attacks on suspected drug smugglers at sea. Now there are two new attacks.
The US military has killed five men in an attack on two suspected drug smuggling boats in the eastern Pacific. The US regional command Southcom, which is responsible for the region, said on the X platform that the boats were connected to drug trafficking. One man survived the attack on Saturday.
Under the orders of US President Donald Trump’s government, the military has been carrying out deadly attacks since autumn last year against boats in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific on which drugs are allegedly being smuggled into the USA. The United States has a major drug problem. Critics doubt whether the deadly attacks in international waters are permissible under international law.
