Latest U.S. strike on alleged drug boat kills 3 in eastern Pacific, Pentagon says
Updated on: June 18, 2026 / 9:39 PM EDT / CBS/AP
TL;DR
- U.S. military attacked a boat in the eastern Pacific, killing three people.
- The boat was allegedly operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations and transiting known narco-trafficking routes.
- This strike is part of a monthslong campaign by the Trump administration against alleged traffickers.
- At least 211 people have been killed in U.S. military boat strikes since early September.
- Critics question the legality and effectiveness of the strikes, noting fentanyl is often trafficked overland.
- Colombian President Gustavo Petro suggested the strategy should focus on cartel leaders, not just workers.
- Lawmakers have demanded unedited video of the strikes, which have drawn scrutiny from legal scholars.
- A previous strike involved a second lethal strike on survivors, which the White House defended as self-defense.
- Legal scholars questioned the legality of the second strike on survivors.
- The Pentagon's watchdog is reviewing the targeting framework, but not the legality, of the strikes.