Caribbean strike leaves four dead as US widens crackdown on drug smugglers

The U.S. military says it killed four people in a strike on a boat suspected of drug smuggling in the Caribbean Sea, but Southern Command offered no evidence the vessel carried drugs. The operation is part of a months-long campaign against alleged traffickers, contributing to a total of at least 231 people killed in 69 strikes since the campaign began, with Washington pursuing joint operations with regional partners amid disputed deals and denials from some governments. Critics say there is little publicly verifiable evidence supporting the killings.