Timeline of US strikes on boats that have killed at least 243

The US military has killed at least 243 people in strikes that destroyed at least 80 vessels, according to official announcements and CNN analysis of search-and-rescue efforts. The article says there were at least 26 survivors, with at least three briefly held by US forces before being returned to their home countries; 23 are presumed dead after searches found no bodies in the water. The most recent strike, on October 27, targeted a “go-fast vessel” operating along narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific, killing five alleged “narco-terrorists” reported by US Southern Command. The Trump administration told Congress it has been in an “armed conflict” against drug cartels since the first strike on September 2, 2025, including claims about lethal action without judicial review.