US military strike on alleged drug boat in eastern Pacific kills five A US military strike on an alleged drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific killed five people, according to US Southern Command. The attack adds to a campaign that has killed at least 240 people in more than 70 strikes. A US military strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the eastern Pacific killed five people, US Southern Command said. The strike on October 27 targeted a go-fast vessel operating along established narco-trafficking routes. US Military Boat Strike Toll Reaches 240SOUTHCOM said confirmed intelligence revealed the vessel's active involvement in narco-trafficking. The latest attack brings the number of people killed by the US military's boat strikes to at least 240 in more than 70 strikes. The Trump administration began targeting those it calls narcoterrorists in September 2025. As with most statements on strikes in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea, the military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs.SOUTHCOM released footage of Tuesday's operation showing a small boat in the water before it is enveloped by an explosion. The video, posted on X, shows the vessel erupting into a massive fireball. SOUTHCOM did not specify where the strike occurred beyond identifying the eastern Pacific and saying the vessel was operating along known smuggling routes. President Donald Trump has said the US is in armed conflict with cartels in Latin America.He has sought to justify the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing narcoterrorists. Critics have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes as well as their effectiveness.Critics Question Legality and Effectiveness of StrikesThey note that the fentanyl behind many fatal overdoses is typically trafficked to the US over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India. The attacks have drawn intense scrutiny from some Democratic lawmakers and military legal scholars. The Pentagon's watchdog said in May that it plans to look into whether the US military followed an established targeting framework when carrying out the lethal operations.That framework includes a military commander's intent, target development and execution. But the evaluation will not probe the legality of the strikes. Tuesday's strike is among a few that have followed Secretary of State Marco Rubio's pledge in September to seek the approval of US allies in the region for carrying out such attacks.Marco Rubio Signals Shift in Regional StrategyRubio told reporters that while the US has the capacity to act unilaterally, it would rather work with its allies because that is the most effective way to do it. Rubio's statements in Peru last month appeared to signal a shift in strategy.However, Rubio also said the US military would still blow up ships if need be and the approach would be a strike-by-strike or operation-by-operation determination. Throughout its campaign targeting suspected drug-trafficking networks, the military has released videos and statements describing those aboard the targeted vessels as narco-terrorists or alleging links to designated terrorist organizations.However, it has generally not identified those killed or provided evidence that the vessels were carrying narcotics. The strikes have generated scrutiny from lawmakers, legal experts and human rights groups who have questioned the legal basis for using lethal military force against suspected traffickers outside a traditional battlefield. The campaign continues as the Trump administration presses its strategy against alleged traffickers in Latin America.