Anti-drug operation in the Pacific leaves one dead, two survivors

One person died and two others were left adrift at sea after the U.S. military bombed what it called a "narco-terrorist ship" on Tuesday, the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) reported.

"One male narco-terrorist died during this action, and there were two survivors," SOUTHCOM, the U.S. military command responsible for operations in the region, wrote on X.

It added that it "immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate the search and rescue system for survivors."

The Coast Guard did not immediately respond to an AFP request for information on the rescue operation.

It is the latest in dozens of similar actions in recent months. It raised the death toll to at least 193 in this campaign against narco-trafficking, according to an AFP tally.

In its release, the military alleged that the attacked vessel was "operated by designated terrorist organizations" and was "transiting known drug trafficking routes in the eastern Pacific."

A grainy black-and-white video accompanying the release showed part of the boat hidden by a box before the attack, then a large explosion and the smoking wreckage in the water.

No survivors are visible in the images.

Operation Southern Spear

The U.S. military launched Operation Southern Spear, in early September of the previous year.

President Donald Trump insists that the country is, in practice, at war with drug cartels operating from Latin America.

Legal experts and human rights organizations say the attacks could constitute extrajudicial killings, as they have apparently targeted civilians who pose no immediate threat to the United States, something the administration has strongly denied.