US strikes drug boats in Pacific

U.S. Southern Command reported that the vessel was operated by a designated terrorist organization and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations along established routes.

Aerial video released by the Pentagon shows the vessel being struck by a projectile and exploding in the open sea.

The death toll from these operations has reached 175 since they began in early September.

While the military maintains that the strikes are necessary to disrupt the flow of illegal drugs, human rights advocates have raised concerns about the use of lethal force in international waters.