"The US Navy's Southern Command has resumed attacks on what US President Donald Trump's administration says are 'drug boats.' These are believed to be smuggler vessels used by cartels to transport narcotics from South America to the US."
"The US government has not yet, however, provided any evidence the ships were transporting illicit cargo or revealed the identities of those killed. Some observers are highly critical of these attacks."
"The US administration rejects such criticism and has offered a series of justifications for why its deadly military strikes comply with international law. It says that in essence, strikes constitute an act of self-defense as cartel actions amount to an armed attack on the US."
"Toward the end of his first term in office, Donald Trump had wanted to label drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, yet refrained from doing so at the request of Mexico's then-President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador."
The US Navy's Southern Command has intensified military actions against suspected drug smuggler vessels, claiming self-defense against cartel threats. Over 50 ships have been sunk since September 2025, with at least 177 suspects reported killed. Critics, including Carlos Perez Ricart, label these actions as extrajudicial killings, while the US government defends its operations as compliant with international law. The Trump administration designated Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations in February 2025, reflecting a shift in its approach to combating drug-related violence and trafficking.
Read at www.dw.com
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