US Military Quietly Ramps Up Boat Strikes, Adds More Attack Aircraft
The US military has quietly increased the number of secret attack aircraft and armed drones used in boat strikes, according to sources familiar with the operations. The strikes have killed at least 14 people in recent attacks on alleged drug boats in the Pacific Ocean.
The US military has quietly ramped up its boat strike operations by deploying more secret fixed-wing attack aircraft and armed MQ-9 Reaper drones, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The strikes are part of Operation Southern Spear, which began last September. Since then, the military has conducted 53 strikes against boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean. The most recent attack killed 2 people in the eastern Pacific, marking the sixth strike this month.
The deadliest day came on October 27, when the military struck four alleged drug boats in the Pacific in a single day. That attack killed 14 people, with only one survivor found clinging to debris afterward. The Mexican Navy helped with search and rescue operations.
Legal experts who study the use of lethal force have criticized the strikes as illegal and extrajudicial killings. The military claims the boats belong to drug traffickers, but the strikes happen without trials or formal legal processes.
The acceleration of strikes coincides with increased military presence in the region, including deployment of the Navy's largest and most advanced aircraft carrier.
These military operations are happening without much public attention, yet they involve killing people the government claims are drug traffickers. Legal experts say the strikes may be illegal, raising questions about how the military uses lethal force overseas.
Watch for more boat strikes as the military has added aircraft to the operation. Legal challenges to the program may emerge.
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