WASHINGTON, D.C. — The US military has killed at least 204 people in strikes that have destroyed 65 vessels as part of a campaign that Washington says is aimed at curtailing the flow of drugs into the United States, according to official announcements and CNN’s analysis of search and rescue efforts.
There have been at least 20 survivors of those strikes, at least two of whom were briefly detained by the US Navy before being returned to their home countries. Some 11 are presumed dead after searches did not locate them in the water. The most recent strike against an alleged drug-trafficking boat occurred on June 16.
The campaign, which has intensified over recent months, has drawn scrutiny from human rights organisations and legal experts who have raised questions about the rules of engagement and the proportionality of force used against vessels suspected of drug trafficking. Critics argue that the military’s approach, which often involves disabling or destroying vessels at sea, places crew members at significant risk of death or injury.
US officials have defended the operations, describing them as necessary to disrupt transnational criminal networks that traffic narcotics, including cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, into American borders. The Pentagon has stated that the strikes are conducted based on intelligence reports and that all efforts are made to minimise civilian casualties.
However, the mounting death toll and the number of vessels destroyed have sparked debate within the Biden administration and among international allies. Some officials have called for a review of the strategy, while others have advocated for increased inter-agency cooperation with foreign governments to address drug trafficking at its source.
The US Southern Command, which oversees military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, has not released a comprehensive breakdown of the strikes or the identities of those killed. The Pentagon has also declined to confirm whether any US personnel have been injured or killed during the operations.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have called for an independent investigation into the campaign, citing concerns about due process and the treatment of survivors. They have also urged the US government to provide compensation to families of victims who may have been non-combatants.
The maritime drug interdiction campaign is part of a broader US strategy to combat transnational organised crime. The US Coast Guard and Navy have increased patrols in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean, which are key transit routes for drug shipments bound for the United States.
As the campaign continues, the Biden administration faces mounting pressure to balance national security objectives with human rights considerations. For now, the strikes have resulted in the highest death toll from anti-drug naval operations in recent memory, and questions about their legality and effectiveness remain unresolved.
