On Friday, the U.S. military launched a lethal attack on a boat believed to be linked to a terrorist organization, resulting in the deaths of two suspects involved in narco-terrorism.
The U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) reported that intelligence indicated the vessel was operating along known drug trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
Efforts were made to locate a suspected narco-terrorist who was thought to have evaded the attack, with search and rescue operations put into action.
The last similar military action by the Department of the Army occurred on December 31, which targeted a convoy of three boats suspected of drug trafficking in the same region.
These three vessels were allegedly operated by designated terrorist groups and were navigating in international waters.
Officials suggested that the crew was engaged in transferring drugs among the boats prior to the strike.
Reports indicated that three narco-terrorists were killed on the first ship, while members of the other two vessels jumped overboard as the confrontation led to the sinking of their ships.
Details about how many survivors made it out remain unclear.
After extensive collaboration with various rescue organizations, including the International Rescue Coordination Center and the AMVER System, the Coast Guard decided to halt the search on January 2. They cited severe limitations in available resources due to the distances involved.
“Ending a search operation is always a tough decision. Given the thorough efforts already made, the absence of positive findings, and the diminished chances of survival, we’ve decided to suspend search activities for now,” stated Capt. Patrick Dill, the Southwest District Incident Management Officer, in a release on January 2.
He added, “At this point, the possibilities of finding anyone alive are quite low considering the time elapsed, environmental conditions, and limited resources for those in the water.”
