US Resumes Controversial Drug Boat Bombings Despite Legal Criticism

The U.S. military has resumed airstrikes against alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Pacific Ocean after a two-month pause, despite widespread criticism that the campaign amounts to unlawful killings.

According to a statement from U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) on Monday, a "lethal kinetic strike" targeted a low-profile vessel in international waters on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of two individuals. SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis Donovan framed the operation as part of an effort to disrupt cartel activities, stating that the strikes aim to "impose total systemic friction on narco-terrorists by dismantling their operations and eliminating cartel terror across the region."

However, the announcement follows a leaked Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) analysis, published less than a month prior, which found that the bombing campaign has failed to reduce cocaine entering the U.S. The DEA report indicated that cartels have adapted by using alternative smuggling methods.

Since the campaign began nearly a year ago under former President Donald Trump’s administration, at least 223 people have been killed in the targeted strikes.

Legal and human rights experts have long condemned the operations as extrajudicial killings. Adam Isaacson, director of the Defense Oversight program at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), argued that the strikes constitute murder, with most victims likely being low-level or uninvolved in drug trafficking. He added that the campaign has no measurable impact on cocaine supply.

Brian Finucane, senior adviser to the U.S. Program at the International Crisis Group, described the resumption of the strikes as a "lawless killing spree at sea." Nicholas Grossman, a professor of international relations at the University of Illinois, called the campaign "murderous and illegal," noting that victims are not terrorists and may not even be drug traffickers.

Investigative journalist Camila Lourdes Galarza pointed out the lack of evidence linking victims to drug trafficking. She noted that if they had been traffickers, they might have received plea deals similar to that of Juan Orlando Hernández, the former Honduran president pardoned by Trump last year despite a prior conviction for narcotics trafficking.

The resumption of the strikes comes amid sustained criticism over their legality and effectiveness. The campaign, which has operated without clear legal authorization, has drawn comparisons to targeted killings abroad, raising concerns about due process and accountability.

SOUTHCOM has not responded to requests for further comment on the legal or operational justifications for the strikes. The DEA declined to provide additional details on the leaked report.

This story was originally published in Common Dreams on August 24, 2026, and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.