Use of Force and International Law

U.S. strikes destroyed two small boats in the eastern Pacific that killed five people and left one survivor, whom the Coast Guard is searching for, the Pentagon said. The incident — part of a campaign that has killed at least 168 people since early September — drew criticism because SOUTHCOM has released no public evidence the vessels carried drugs, and critics question the legality and effectiveness of maritime strikes given most fentanyl entering the U.S. comes overland amid the broader context of the administration’s declared "armed conflict" with cartels and other naval actions.