Former US President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on 19/9 that "at my direction, the secretary of defense ordered a strike on a terrorist vessel transporting drugs in an area under the responsibility of Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)."
He also posted a one-minute video, purportedly from the reconnaissance aircraft's thermal and optical sensors, showing a boat moving at high speed. A missile then strikes the vessel, causing a large explosion.
Trump claimed intelligence confirmed the boat carried illicit substances and was traveling along a known drug trafficking route. "The strike occurred in international waters, killing three suspected drug traffickers. No US personnel were endangered," he stated.
Unlike two previous incidents, Trump did not disclose the boat's origin or the precise location of the strike. SOUTHCOM is responsible for US military operations in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
US Senator Marco Rubio stated last week that traditional drug boat interdiction methods were ineffective, leading the US to adopt a policy of destroying targets instead of pursuing them.
This new approach has sparked debate about the legality of such strikes, as drug trafficking is not a capital offense under US law. Washington has also not provided evidence confirming the targeted boats were carrying drugs.
Huyen Le (According to AFP, Reuters)
