The U.S. Coast Guard announced on Friday it has suspended its search for survivors in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The operation followed a U.S. military engagement with two boats on Tuesday, which U.S. Southern Command stated were involved in drug smuggling.
In a statement, the Coast Guard reported that its search covered an area approximately 400 nautical miles southwest of the Mexico-Guatemala border. The search operation lasted for more than 65 hours, but officials confirmed that no survivors were located. Media outlets reported that search conditions included nine-foot seas and 40-knot winds.
The search was initiated after U.S. Southern Command issued a statement on Tuesday detailing an operation in the eastern Pacific. According to the command, U.S. forces engaged three boats traveling in a convoy. The statement said three people were killed on one vessel, while individuals from the other two boats went overboard before their vessels were sunk in subsequent engagements.
In a separate incident at an undisclosed location, the military reported that another two people were killed during an engagement with a fourth boat. In both cases, Southern Command said the vessels were transporting illegal drugs.
According to figures provided by the administration of President Donald Trump, these events bring the total number of U.S. military boat engagements to 33 since early September. The administration reported that these operations have resulted in at least 115 fatalities. The Coast Guard did not specify the number of individuals it was searching for following the most recent incidents.
The military’s actions have drawn commentary from some legal and human rights organizations. Certain human rights observers and international law experts have characterized the engagements as extrajudicial killings, asserting they occur without formal legal proceedings.
The Trump administration has publicly referred to the targets of these operations as “narcoterrorists.” Officials have stated the individuals involved are motivated by a desire to destabilize the U.S. through the drug trade rather than by profit.
The military operations have largely been concentrated in waters near Venezuela. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has stated that the U.S. actions are part of an effort to remove his government and control the country’s oil reserves. On Thursday, however, President Maduro said he was open to negotiating with the U.S. to address drug trafficking.
