US Coast Guard searches for survivors of boat strikes as odds diminish days later
ABC News••nation
Key Points:
- The U.S. Coast Guard is continuing search efforts in the eastern Pacific Ocean for people who jumped from alleged drug-smuggling boats attacked by the U.S. military days earlier, with survival chances considered low due to harsh weather conditions.
- The military struck three boats on known narcotics trafficking routes, killing three people on the first boat and prompting others to jump overboard before the attacks on the remaining vessels; the Coast Guard was notified to conduct search and rescue operations.
- The strikes are part of a broader campaign initiated under President Trump since early September, with 35 known boat attacks and at least 115 deaths, aimed at disrupting drug trafficking into the U.S. amid claims of an “armed conflict” with drug cartels.
