Strike on an alleged drug boat kills 3 in the eastern Pacific Ocean

A strike on an alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific left three people dead, the latest action in a months-long campaign against traffickers in Latin America. The attack brings the toll from U.S. boat strikes to at least 211 since September, according to U.S. Southern Command. The Pentagon did not provide evidence the vessel carried drugs, and a video on X shows the boat speeding before it exploded into flames. President Trump has framed the campaign as necessary to curb fentanyl-linked overdoses, but critics question legality and effectiveness, noting much fentanyl travels by land from Mexico. Lawmakers have pressed for unedited video, while the White House defends self-defense rationale. Legal scholars raise concerns about legality of follow-up strikes on survivors. The Pentagon Inspector General plans to review whether strikes followed the six-phase Joint Targeting Cycle, focusing on targeting processes rather than legality. Strikes target known smuggling routes as part of an ongoing effort that began in September and included a prior attack that killed nine people on another vessel.