WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) – According to US military information, a total of 207 people have died in repeated US attacks on suspected drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific since autumn. At the request of the German Press Agency, the responsible US regional command Southcom said that as of Thursday there had been 63 attacks in which 64 boats had been destroyed.
Regarding the 207 deaths, it was said: 190 suspected drug smugglers died during the beating. In addition, two bodies were recovered from the water during subsequent searches and the search for 15 other suspected smugglers was stopped after a certain time.
The US’s actions are controversial: critics doubt whether the deadly attacks in international waters are permissible under international law.
On the instructions of the government of US President Donald Trump, the US military has been repeatedly attacking boats in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific since autumn 2025 in order to prevent international drug smuggling. The USA has a big drug problem. Trump also attributes this to drug smuggling from abroad. The US government speaks of drug terrorism./rin/DP/he