U.S. Coast Guard Calls Off Search for People in Water After Military Strikes on Suspected Drug Boats
The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for possible survivors after people reportedly abandoned their vessels during U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Eastern Pacific, officials said Friday. The decision ended days of coordinated search efforts that failed to turn up any survivors or significant debris.
The suspension comes amid rising scrutiny of the U.S. campaign targeting small vessels alleged to be involved in narcotics trafficking, a controversial effort that has drawn international attention.
According to Reuters, the Coast Guard’s search covered more than 1,090 nautical miles over roughly 65 hours, with aircraft and surface assets scouring waters about 400 nautical miles southwest of the Mexico-Guatemala border. U.S. Southern Command said the military struck three boats earlier this week; the Pentagon initially reported three fatalities but later revised the count to five. After the first vessel was hit, some people aboard the remaining two reportedly jumped overboard before those boats were sunk.
But the Coast Guard’s search, which also involved assistance from partner nations and civilian vessels, found no survivors or debris, leading officials to suspend operations Friday night.
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“This was a vast and difficult operation,” a Coast Guard spokesperson said in a statement.
The incident marks the latest in a series of approximately 35 U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels since September, operations the administration says are part of an effort to disrupt narcotics networks. Critics, however, have questioned both the legality and humanitarian impact of such strikes, especially when survivors are left in the water.
In coming days, lawmakers and international partners are expected to press Pentagon officials for details and clarity on how many people were aboard and whether any could have survived at sea. The Coast Guard said it remains ready to resume rescue efforts should credible reports of survivors surface.
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