WASHINGTON.- A United States security operation against drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific left at least two suspected traffickers dead and one survivor rescued from the sea, according to US authorities.
The incident occurred on Thursday, when US forces attacked a suspicious vessel that was sailing on routes commonly used by drug trafficking networks in Pacific waters. According to the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), the objective was a “low profile boat” linked to drug trafficking operations in the region.
The military command reported that the action was “lethal,” although it did not initially specify the number of victims. After the operation, the agency immediately notified the United States Coast Guard to begin search and rescue efforts for possible survivors.
Rescue
A Coast Guard spokesperson later indicated that the institution received an alert about “three individuals in distress in the Pacific Ocean.” An agency boat traveled to the area of the incident and recovered two dead people and one survivor in the water.
According to the official report, the bodies of the deceased and the survivor were delivered to the Costa Rican authorities to continue with the corresponding procedures.
Strategy against drug trafficking in the region
The operation is part of a broader campaign launched by Washington in September to intercept vessels linked to drug trafficking in the Pacific and the Caribbean.
President Donald Trump maintains that his administration maintains a direct offensive against what he calls “narcoterrorism” in Latin America, arguing that criminal networks represent a threat to regional security and to the United States.
US authorities maintain that many of these organizations use speedboats and low-profile vessels, difficult to detect by radar, to transport drug shipments to Central America, Mexico and later to US territory.
