 "US Coast Guard halts search for survivors after military strikes on suspected drug boats in Pacific")
The US Coast Guard said on Friday night it has stopped searching for people possibly lost at sea after US military strikes targeted alleged drug boats in the eastern Pacific earlier this week, citing limited resources and a low chance of survival.
In a statement, the Coast Guard said it had suspended active search operations for people in the water following the strikes. The decision came after more than 65 hours of coordinated search efforts carried out about 400 nautical miles southwest of the Mexico-Guatemala border.
Details of the strikes
The US military said on Tuesday that it struck a “convoy” of three drug-trafficking boats in international waters. Three people were killed aboard one boat, while crew members on the other two vessels abandoned ship. The government has not said how many people are believed to have entered the water.
US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) previously said it notified the Coast Guard after Tuesday’s strike to initiate search and rescue operations, though it did not disclose the location of the strike. The Coast Guard said available assets were “extremely limited due to distance and range constraints”.
“Suspending a search is never easy and given the exhaustive search effort, lack of positive indications and declining probability of survival, we have suspended active search efforts pending further developments,” Coast Guard Capt. Patrick Dill said. “At this stage of the response, the likelihood of a successful outcome, based on elapsed time, environmental conditions, and available resources for a person in the water is very low.”
Military campaign
The US military also carried out strikes on suspected drug boats on Monday and Wednesday. According to SOUTHCOM, at least 10 people were killed and six boats were sunk over three days of strikes this week. That figure does not include those who abandoned ship during Tuesday’s incident.
The Defense Department said at least 115 crew members have been killed since the Trump administration launched its campaign against alleged drug boats in September, excluding those who went overboard on Tuesday. The administration has said the strikes are aimed at stopping the flow of drugs into the United States, while officials have also described them as part of a pressure campaign against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, from whose country many of the vessels originated. Lawmakers in Congress are continuing to press the administration for more details about the strikes.
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