The US military has obliterated three suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Eastern Pacific, killing eight men in a dramatic escalation of Washington’s militarized war on narcotics.

The strikes, confirmed by US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) on Monday, mark a lethal shift in global maritime policing. By treating suspected cartels as enemy combatants rather than civilian criminals, the Trump administration is rewriting the rules of engagement—a move sparking fierce debate over the legality of extrajudicial killings at sea.

The Kill Chain

SOUTHCOM released grainy, black-and-white footage on social media platform X, showing the vessels moving through international waters moments before being consumed by catastrophic explosions. The command justified the lethal force, stating intelligence confirmed the boats were “transiting along known narco-trafficking routes” and were actively engaged in the trade.

This latest operation brings the tally of struck vessels to over 20 in the Pacific and Caribbean theaters near Venezuela. The human cost is rising rapidly:

• Total vessels struck: 20+ in recent months.
• Confirmed casualties: At least 90 suspected smugglers killed.
• Location: International waters in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean.

For Kenyan observers, this militarization echoes the hardline rhetoric often heard in Nairobi regarding the “Southern Route” of heroin trafficking through the Indian Ocean. However, while Kenyan authorities rely on interception and prosecution, the US strategy has shifted to summary elimination.

A Legal Minefield

The use of military-grade airstrikes against civilian vessels—even those suspected of crime—is a stark departure from historical maritime law. Traditionally, naval forces intercept, board, and arrest suspects to face trial. Legal experts argue that bypassing the judicial process amounts to unlawful extrajudicial killing.

“This is a war on drugs that has literally become a war,” noted one international maritime legal analyst. “There is no judge, no jury, only a pilot and a target.”

Despite the scrutiny, the Trump administration continues to defend the legality of the strikes, framing the cartels as paramilitary threats rather than law enforcement problems. As the death toll rises, the definition of justice on the high seas is being recalibrated with high explosives, leaving legal scholars to warn that the war on drugs has quietly morphed into a war without courts.