May 06 (V7N)- The US military announced Tuesday that five people were killed in two separate strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in Latin American waters over the past two days, raising the death toll from the campaign to at least 190.  

US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said forces carried out a “lethal kinetic strike” on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific, describing it as operated by “Designated Terrorist Organizations” and engaged in narco-trafficking. Three men were killed in that action. A similar strike on Monday in the Caribbean killed two more people.  

President Donald Trump’s administration has framed the operations as part of a war against “narco-terrorists” in the region. However, critics argue Washington has not provided definitive evidence linking the targeted vessels to drug trafficking, fueling debate over the legality of the campaign.  

The strikes underscore the growing intensity of US military involvement in Latin America’s maritime routes, with SOUTHCOM insisting the operations are necessary to disrupt organized crime networks.

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