U.S. strikes another boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing four, amid escalating questions about its counter-drug offensive

The Pentagon is seen on Sunday, Aug. 27, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

(CNN) — The US military carried out a strike Thursday on a suspected drug boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing four people on board, according to a social media post from US Southern Command.

“Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel in international waters operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization. Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was carrying illicit narcotics and transiting along a known narco-trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific. Four male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed,” the post says.

Alongside the post is a 21-second-long video showing the boat being struck.

Thursday’s strike comes as the Pentagon is facing bipartisan criticism over a September attack on an alleged drug vessel in which the military fired follow-up strikes, killing surviving crew members. At least 87 people have now been killed in strikes on 23 suspected drug boats as part of a campaign, dubbed Operation Southern Spear, that the Trump administration has said is aimed at curtailing narcotics trafficking.

US Navy Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley briefed leaders on Capitol Hill Thursday about that September incident in what is the most significant congressional scrutiny of the president’s military campaign in the Caribbean so far.

Top House and Senate lawmakers emerged from the briefing, which included video of the incident, divided along party lines. A top Democrat called video of the incident that was shared as part of the briefing “one of the most troubling things” he has seen as a lawmaker. But the panel chairman, Republican Rep. Rick Crawford of Arkansas, said that he thought the second strike was justified. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, also a Republican from Arkansas, echoed that sentiment.

It is unclear whether members of the public will get the opportunity to judge for themselves. Trump on Wednesday said his administration would “certainly” release video of the follow-up strike, but it had yet to do so as of Thursday evening – even as officials made public video of the more recent strike.

Most Republicans have signaled support for the overall campaign, which a broad range of outside legal experts have argued is likely unlawful. But the September 2 strike has drawn bipartisan scrutiny as a potential war crime — including, most consequentially, a vow from the Senate Armed Services Committee to conduct oversight.

Trump has indicated that the US is preparing to further escalate its offensive against alleged drug traffickers, repeatedly saying in recent days the military will soon begin striking targets inside Venezuela.

“We’re going to start doing those strikes on land, too,” he said during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. “We know where they live. We know where the bad ones live, and we’re going to start that very soon.”

By Samantha Waldenberg, CNN