11 killed in latest strikes on alleged drug boats

[struggle4progress]

Victoria Bekiempis
Tue 17 Feb 2026 16.54 EST

US military officials have said American forces launched assaults on three alleged drug-smuggling boats, killing 11 in one of the deadliest days of the Trump administration’s months-long campaign against alleged traffickers.

The military action on Monday brought the number of fatalities caused by US strikes to 145 since September, when Donald Trump called on American armed forces to attack people deemed “narco-terrorists” on small vessels. There have been 42 known strikes in notorious drug-trafficking routes such as the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, according to the Associated Press reported. ...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/17/us-military-boats-strikes

[Lovie777]

1. And yet from what I hear.....................

illegal drugs are still making it in the USA.

[KS Toronado]

2. Watched one of the attacks today on local news

the boat wasn't moving which tells me fishermen at work. Why can't our military refuse these orders?

[bluestarone]

4. Same thought here

Military is NOT our friend with TSF.

[Ilikepurple]

3. I can't believe Southern Command posts these videos like some sort of MAGS snuff films

I disagree strongly with these extra judicial killings, but even if you supported bombing drug smugglers, will we ever know how solid any of there cases against these boats or individuals were. We’ve had so many unsuccessful wars on drugs now we have a probably unsuccessful Department of War on drugs. We seem to just like wars on things even if they don’t accomplish what they were ostensibly manufactured for. I don’t see any articles on changes in street drug availability or inflation and don’t really expect to. Does anyone, after careful research and reflection, really think these strikes will have an impact on illegal drug use in America? I am glad that have at least talked about the legality of the strikes.
There’s so much aberrant behavior by this administration everyday that a 11 killing boast by our military without regard to due process or any transparency barely causes a blip in the US news cycle. I There are so many issues with these strikes from the legal to the moral and even pragmatic. We may never get time to get to the issues here as we have Iran, the EPA rollbacks, a revealed Ice killing in Texas, and Trump’s tantrum tarries to think about. Tomorrow, there’ll surely be something(s) to distract us from these issues

Some comments about what US Southern Command said.

“Intelligence confirmed the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes and were engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” I hope that’s not all the evidence they had. We may never know.

“No US military forces were harmed,” This wording bothers me because they know we are less discerning if there is an illusion of our troops being in danger. I think the videos sort of show they were never in imminent danger?