The United States military struck a boat in the Eastern Pacific Ocean suspected of carrying narcotics, killing six people, according to the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).

In a statement, SOUTHCOM said the vessel was targeted after intelligence indicated it was involved in drug trafficking along maritime smuggling routes in the region.

Officials said six people were killed in the strike, while no U.S. personnel were injured during the operation.

The strike was carried out as part of ongoing U.S. military efforts to combat narcotics trafficking in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean regions, where authorities say transnational criminal networks frequently use maritime routes to transport drugs.

Recent U.S. military operations against suspected drug-smuggling vessels have drawn criticism from some legal experts and political figures, who argue that such attacks may amount to extrajudicial killings if those targeted are not directly engaged in armed hostilities.

The Eastern Pacific is considered one of the main maritime corridors used to transport narcotics from Latin America toward North America.

According to U.S. officials, Washington has intensified maritime counter-narcotics operations in recent months, targeting vessels suspected of transporting cocaine and other illicit drugs along routes connecting South America with North and Central America.(ILKHA)