 "Amid rising tensions with Venezuela, US strikes boat in Eastern Pacific, killing 1")
In the latest attack on vessels in international waters, the US military said it blew up a boat in the Eastern Pacific on Monday and killed one sailor.
The boat belonged to designated terrorist organisations and was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes while engaged in drug operations, the US Southern Command said in a statement.
As with all previous strikes in the ongoing campaign, the US military did not identify those killed, provide evidence that the boat carried drugs, or name the terrorist organisation it allegedly belonged to.
Since September 2, on the orders of President Donald Trump, the US military has conducted at least 29 such strikes and killed 105 sailors in international waters.
On Dec. 22, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a low-profile vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters. Intelligence confirmed the low-profile vessel was transiting… pic.twitter.com/LGzEaQSTiR
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) December 23, 2025
The latest strike comes as Trump has ramped up his campaign against Venezuelan ruler Nicolas Maduro. He has declared a blockade of all sanctioned vessels transiting to Venezuela and has seized two tankers and pursued another in international waters.
Critics argue that, rather than a genuine anti-narcotics campaign, Trump’s strikes on boats are part of a pretext to launch attacks on Venezuela, topple Maduro’s regime, and seize the country’s vast oil reserves.
ALSO READ — From airstrikes to assassination, Trump weighs options against Venezuela’s Maduro: Report
But Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and their supporters have hailed the campaign as a legitimate offensive against drug traffickers. Critics, however, have flagged these attacks illegal and potential war crimes. They have said that summarily killing potentially unarmed persons in international waters without provocation is unlawful and could constitute a war crime.
Critics have also pointed out that killing suspected drug traffickers instead of apprehending and prosecuting them under the US law violates longstanding US policy followed so far under administration of both the parties. Despite the criticism, the Trump administration has continued to strike boats and kill sailors.
In the most contentious strike on Sept. 2, the US military carried out a second attack to kill two shipwrecked survivors of the first strike who were clinging to the broken vessel without any weapons or communication devices.
Commentators have noted that killing unarmed shipwrecked survivors violates both international law and the American war manual. However, the Trump administration has stood by its decision to kill unarmed shipwrecked survivors.
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