US strikes drug-boat in eastern Pacific kill two, fueling legality debate

The US military said it struck a boat in the eastern Pacific suspected of smuggling drugs, killing two men and raising the toll of people killed in such boat strikes to at least 207 since September, though it offered no evidence the vessel carried drugs. The operation feeds a broader debate over the legality and effectiveness of the campaign against Latin American traffickers, as Trump frames it as self-defense in an armed conflict while critics point to past strikes and legal questions; the Pentagon watchdog will review the targeting process, not the legality of the strikes.