ASIATODAY.ID, WASHINGTON — The United States military has carried out another deadly strike on a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing all four people on board after alleging the vessel was involved in drug trafficking.
Quoted on December 18, 2025, US Southern Command claimed on social media that the boat was operated by what it described as “narco-terrorists” along a well-known trafficking route. However, the US military provided no independently verifiable evidence to support the allegation.
The Pentagon released a video showing a small boat moving through open waters before being engulfed in an explosion.
The latest incident brings the total number of US-announced boat strikes in the Pacific to 26 operations, resulting in at least 99 deaths, according to official US statements.
US President Donald Trump has defended the attacks as necessary to stem the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, asserting that the country is now engaged in an armed conflict with drug-trafficking organizations — a claim that has sparked concern among legal scholars and human rights groups.
Amid mounting scrutiny, Republicans in the US House of Representatives on Wednesday rejected two resolutions backed by Democrats that sought to limit Trump’s authority to use military force against alleged drug cartels and against Venezuela.
Democrats invoked the War Powers Resolution to force a vote aimed at restricting the president’s ability to initiate military action against Venezuela, as Trump has increasingly escalated threats toward the South American nation.
The vote came as lawmakers questioned the legal basis of military operations that have led to the destruction of 26 alleged drug-carrying boats and the deaths of at least 99 people without a formal declaration of war.
Had the resolutions passed, the Trump administration would have been required to seek congressional authorization before continuing strikes against alleged trafficking groups or launching military action against Venezuela. The measures narrowly failed in the Republican-led House by 216 votes to 210. (AT Network)
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