U.S. General Admits “Boat Strikes Aren’t The Answer” As 157 Killed In Anti-Drug Sea Operations

The head of U.S. Southern Command has said that U.S. strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats are not fixing the country’s drug problem.

Speaking before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Francis L. Donovan said the operations have forced traffickers to change how they move drugs, but they are not a long-term solution.

Since early September, the U.S. military has carried out at least 45 strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific.

These operations have killed at least 157 people accused of drug trafficking. The military says the vessels were moving along known smuggling routes, but it has not shared detailed evidence publicly.

Donovan told lawmakers that these strikes are only one part of a much larger fight. He explained that drug networks operate across several routes, both on land and at sea, and targeting individual boats does not break the system.

He said future efforts will focus more on disrupting the entire supply chain, from where drugs are produced to where they are delivered.

He also made it clear that these strikes may not be the most effective tool. According to him, the U.S. is now working with regional partners to build a plan that puts pressure on trafficking networks at every stage, instead of only attacking boats at sea.

Some analysts say these strikes could break international law, as people suspected of crimes cannot be targeted unless they pose an immediate threat.

U.S. Senator Mark Kelly also questioned whether the strikes are actually reducing drug flow into the country. He pointed out that fentanyl, one of the biggest concerns, mainly enters through land borders, not by sea.

The operations are taking place in major drug trafficking routes across the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific, where smugglers often use small, fast boats to move illegal cargo.

In the past, the U.S. mainly relied on coast guard patrols and vessel seizures instead of airstrikes.

References: nytimes, The hill