⚖️🛥️ US airstrikes on suspected drug trafficker boats raise legal concerns

Oneliner

The US has conducted airstrikes against suspected drug trafficker boats in the Pacific, resulting in at least two deaths in the latest attack. Since September 2025, around 130 people have died in these operations, which have raised significant legal and ethical concerns. UN experts argue that the strikes may violate international law, as the US has not provided evidence linking the targeted vessels to drug trafficking. This campaign is part of a broader strategy against drug cartels, including the recent capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Key points

• Recent US airstrikes have killed at least 130 people since September 2025.
• The legality of these operations is under scrutiny from UN experts and human rights groups.
• The US military has not provided evidence linking the targeted boats to drug trafficking.
• This campaign is part of a broader strategy against drug cartels, including the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Links

• Público: EEUU ataca una lancha en el Pacífico y deja dos muertos y un superviviente
• Tagesschau (ARD): USA melden Angriff auf angebliches Drogenboot im Pazifik
• www.vrt.be: Twee doden bij nieuwe Amerikaanse luchtaanval op 'drugsboot' | VRT NWS: nieuws
• ABC: Al menos dos muertos en un nuevo ataque de EE.UU. contra una supuesta narcolancha en el Pacífico
• BFMTV: Deux morts dans une nouvelle frappe américaine contre un bateau de narcotrafiquants dans le Pacifique
• La Libre: Une nouvelle frappe américaine contre un bateau de narcotrafiquants présumés fait deux morts dans le Pacifique
• Der Tagesspiegel: Eine Person überlebte: USA melden zwei Tote bei Angriff auf angebliches Drogenboot im Pazifik

Facts

• At least 130 people have died in US airstrikes since September 2025.
• Approximately 38 vessels have been destroyed in the ongoing campaign.
• The latest strike occurred on February 9, 2026.
• UN experts have condemned the strikes as potential extrajudicial executions.
• Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured on January 3, 2026, and face narcoterrorism charges.

Quotes

• The legality of the operations in question is under intense debate worldwide — UN experts.
• The US government has not yet provided evidence that the boats were actually involved in drug smuggling — VRT NWS.

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