Pentagon's internal watchdog to probe US attacks on boats in the Caribbean, Bloomberg News reports
The review will examine whether Southern Command followed the six-step Joint Targeting Cycle as the strikes killed nearly 200 people, officials said.
- On Monday, the Pentagon's independent inspector general launched an investigation into U.S. Southern Command's Operation Southern Spear, an effort targeting alleged drug-smuggling vessels that has killed at least 192 people.
- President Donald Trump's administration initiated the campaign against alleged "narco-terrorists" in Latin America last year, conducting nearly 60 attacks in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.
- The probe will evaluate whether the military adhered to the six-phase Joint Targeting Cycle during the strikes, with officials stating "we may identify additional locations during the evaluation" at the Pentagon and Southcom headquarters in Florida.
- Senator Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, questioned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth regarding the classified legal opinion, citing a "profound mismatch" between observed strikes and the military's underlying legal assumptions.
- Lawmakers and rights groups continue to question the operation's legality, arguing the administration has provided little evidence that victims were criminals and suggesting the attacks could amount to extrajudicial killings.
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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Seattle TimesPentagon watchdog to evaluate U.S. military’s boat strikes in Latin America
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon watchdog will evaluate whether the U.S. military followed an established targeting framework when carrying out attacks...
Associated Press News
Pentagon watchdog to evaluate US military’s boat strikes in Latin America
The Pentagon watchdog will evaluate whether the U.S. military followed an established targeting framework when carrying out attacks on dozens of alleged drug-smuggling boats in Latin America.
Lawmakers raise alarm over legality of US lethal drug boat strikes
Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have questioned whether the military has the legal authority to use lethal force against civilian-style vessels in international waters outside of a declared theatre of war.
Pentagon watchdog evaluating US operations involving strikes on alleged drug boats
The Defense Department’s internal watchdog has said it is evaluating US Southern Command’s operations that have included strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.
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