The U.S. military struck two suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Sunday, killing five people and leaving one survivor, military officials confirmed. The operations mark one of the more direct uses of lethal force against suspected narco-trafficking boats in recent memory and reflect a broader expansion of military engagement in counternarcotics efforts under the Trump administration.

Details released by the military indicate that both vessels were targeted in separate strikes, with officials describing the targets as suspected narco-trafficking craft. The single survivor was recovered following the operations. No additional information was immediately available regarding the nationalities of those aboard or the specific circumstances that led to the decision to use lethal force against the boats.

The strikes come amid an ongoing effort by the Trump administration to use expanded military authority to combat drug smuggling routes in the eastern Pacific, a corridor frequently used to transport cocaine and other narcotics from South America toward the United States. The administration has framed drug cartels as national security threats, and officials have signaled that military force would be among the tools deployed against trafficking networks.

Legal and human rights observers are expected to scrutinize the operations, particularly regarding the rules of engagement applied and whether those aboard the vessels posed an imminent threat justifying lethal action. Questions remain about what legal framework authorized the strikes and how the military confirmed the boats were engaged in drug trafficking prior to the use of force. The Defense Department had not issued a comprehensive statement addressing those questions as of Sunday.