US Coast Guard Halts Search for Survivors After Boat Strike in Pacific

US Coast Guard Halts Search

The United States Coast Guard has announced the suspension of its search for survivors just days after the U.S. military reported striking two more boats in the eastern Pacific as part of an ongoing military campaign in the waters surrounding Venezuela.

In a statement released on its website, the Coast Guard indicated that the three-day search was conducted in an area located "approximately 400 nautical miles [about 740 km] southwest of the Mexico-Guatemala border," continuing for over 65 hours without any sightings of survivors.

Earlier reports indicated that the searches took place in an area with challenging weather conditions, including "nine-foot waves and 40-knot winds." The Southern Command of the U.S. military stated that they struck three boats traveling in convoy in the eastern Pacific, resulting in the deaths of three individuals from one of the boats, while passengers from the others jumped overboard to escape the attack.

With this incident, the total number of boat strike incidents has risen to 33, with at least 115 fatalities reported since September.

The attacks have sparked controversy, with human rights groups and international law experts arguing that the U.S. military's strikes against boats suspected of drug trafficking amount to extrajudicial killings, occurring without legal authority or fair trial. The Trump administration defended its actions, asserting that the targets are "narcoterrorists" motivated not by profit but by the ambition to destabilize the U.S. through drug trade.

Despite the criticisms, Venezuela has stated that it is open to negotiations with the U.S. to combat drug trafficking, while President Nicolás Maduro has accused the U.S. of attempting to overthrow his government and seize the country's oil reserves.