US Southern Command posted a video on social media showing a ship standing in the water, followed by an explosion. In the last seconds of the video, smoke and fire can be seen rising from the ship.
Read more 94 trees stolen in Tauragė district, truck engine near Druskininkai
The day before, US forces in the Pacific Ocean struck a suspected drug ship, killing one man and leaving two alive. Southern Command stated that it “immediately notified the US Coast Guard to activate the search and rescue system for survivors.”
Donald Trump’s administration campaign, targeting suspected drug trafficking ships in Latin American waters, including the eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, has been ongoing since early September and has claimed at least 196 lives in total.
The military has not provided evidence that any of these ships were carrying drugs.
Read more Electronic waste – a growing risk: how to prevent fires?
The Pentagon oversight agency announced last week that it will assess whether the US military adhered to the established target selection system while conducting strikes against suspected drug smuggling ships.
The Pentagon Inspector General’s office stated that this review was initiated “on its own initiative.” It will not investigate the legality of the strikes, which has drawn significant attention from some Democratic lawmakers and experts in the laws of war.
The Trump administration claims that the US is fighting Latin American drug cartels, which it says are responsible for the deadly drug overdose epidemic plaguing many US communities.
Read more The expert named the biggest mistakes of modern tourists: almost everyone makes them
