U.S. strike on an alleged drug boat kills 2, leaves 6 survivors, in the Caribbean

By — Konstantin Toropin, Associated Press Konstantin Toropin, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-strike-on-an-alleged-drug-boat-kills-2-leaves-6-survivors-in-the-caribbean Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter U.S. strike on an alleged drug boat kills 2, leaves 6 survivors, in the Caribbean World Jun 22, 2026 4:38 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military has conducted another strike Sunday against a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean on Sunday, immediately killing two people and leaving six survivors amid an ongoing campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. The latest attack — which now number at more than 60 — brings the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military to more than 210 people since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls "narcoterrorists" in early September. READ MORE: Fact-checking U.S. military boat strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific as death toll passes 200 It is unclear if the survivors of this strike were rescued. In this case, and the strike on June 16 that left two survivors, U.S. Central Command said that they notified the U.S. Coast Guard. A statement from the Coast Guard said they suspended their search for survivors for the June 16 strike a day later with "no signs of survivors or debris" but had no comment on the current strike. As with most of the military's statements on strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, U.S. Southern Command said it targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. WATCH: Brooks and Capehart on the political fallout over Trump's boat strikes A black and white video posted on X showed a boat speeding through the water before being struck by a visible projectile and then bursting into flames. President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in "armed conflict" with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing "narcoterrorists." READ MORE: Pentagon watchdog to evaluate U.S. military's boat strikes in Latin America Critics of the strikes have questioned the overall legality as well as their effectiveness. Part of the argument has been that the fentanyl behind many fatal U.S. drug overdoses is typically trafficked over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India. On Thursday, U.S. lawmakers demanded that the Pentagon release "unedited video" of the very first strike that the military conducted after reports emerged that the U.S. chose to conduct a follow-up str