Death toll from US strikes on alleged drug boats rises to 126

The United States military has confirmed that 126 people have died in strikes on vessels accused of drug trafficking, including those now presumed dead after being lost at sea, officials said on Monday.

U.S. Southern Command said the figure comprises 116 confirmed fatalities from at least 36 separate attacks conducted since early September in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, and 10 additional people who are believed to have died after failing to be found by search teams following strikes.

Among those presumed lost were eight people who jumped from three boats targeted on 30 December, the military said, noting that earlier reporting at the time indicated the U.S. Coast Guard had been searching for survivors. The remaining two presumed deaths were linked to strikes on 27 October and last Friday.

President Donald Trump has characterised the campaign as part of an “armed conflict” with drug cartels in Latin America and defended the use of military force as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of illicit drugs into the United States. However, the administration has released limited evidence to substantiate its claims that those killed were “narcoterrorists.”

The strikes have drawn intense criticism from opponents who question both the legality and effectiveness of the operation, particularly given that much of the fentanyl behind fatal overdoses in the United States is trafficked overland from Mexico, not by sea. Legal experts and Democratic lawmakers have described some actions as tantamount to extrajudicial killings or even potential war crimes.

The campaign began amid one of the largest deployments of U.S. military forces in the region in recent decades and has run alongside broader strategic efforts by the administration in Latin America, including the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a 3 January raid in which he was brought to the United States to face drug-trafficking charges.

Republican lawmakers have defended the strikes and blocked Democratic moves to limit Mr Trump’s authority to continue related operations, including in Venezuela.

Critics also highlight a controversial early incident in which a follow-up strike reportedly killed survivors of an initial maritime attack, raising further questions about rules of engagement and international law.

With agency inputs