Summary
Since early September, the U.S. has conducted at least 22 military strikes on drug-trafficking boats near Latin America, resulting in at least 86 deaths. Experts claim these strikes break international law, and there are ongoing debates about how to stop them. Efforts to impose checks on these actions, both within the U.S. and from other countries, have had little effect so far.
Key Facts
- The U.S. has targeted drug-trafficking vessels with military strikes off Latin America's coast since early September.
- At least 86 people have died in these strikes.
- Legal experts say these actions violate international law and amount to extrajudicial killings.
- Two attempts in the U.S. Senate to stop the strikes failed, with narrow vote margins.
- Some foreign countries, like the UK and Colombia, considered halting intelligence-sharing with the U.S. but have downplayed such reports.
- U.S. military lawyers who questioned the legality of these actions faced job challenges.
- President Trump’s administration has been criticized for weakening legal safeguards that limit military force against criminal activities.
