• US military strikes on a boat in the Eastern Pacific killed three alleged narco-terrorists.
• This strike is part of an ongoing campaign against drug trafficking that has resulted in at least 178 fatalities since September.
• Human rights advocates criticize these operations as "extrajudicial killings."

On Wednesday, the U.S. military conducted a strike in the Eastern Pacific, resulting in the deaths of three individuals identified as “male narco-terrorists” involved in drug trafficking operations. This operation is part of a larger campaign initiated by the Trump administration against vessels operated by groups labeled as "Designated Terrorist Organizations," although specific identities were not disclosed, according to CBS News.

The U.S. Southern Command reported that the targeted vessel was navigating known drug-trafficking routes. This operation follows several others; just a day prior, four individuals were killed in a different strike, and two others died in a strike on Monday. Since September, these operations have claimed at least 178 lives, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera.

Human rights organizations have condemned these strikes, labeling them as “unlawful extrajudicial killings” and asserting that the U.S. military cannot engage in summary executions for those merely accused of smuggling drugs. Critics highlight that the fentanyl linked to many U.S. overdoses is generally trafficked over land from Mexico, raising doubts about the effectiveness of the maritime campaign, as stated by experts, including representatives from Human Rights Watch, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera.