Three people were killed Wednesday in a U.S. military strike on an alleged drug-trafficking vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, according to military officials. The attack marked the fifth such deadly strike conducted by U.S. forces in as many days.

U.S. Southern Command announced it had conducted "a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations" in the eastern Pacific, though the military did not identify the specific group in its statement posted on social media platform X.

The series of strikes this week has brought the total number of people killed in U.S. military attacks on alleged drug boats to at least 177, according to military officials. The Pentagon has characterized these operations as part of ongoing counter-narcotics efforts in the region.

President Trump has described the United States as being in "armed conflict" with cartels in Latin America and has defended the military strikes as a necessary escalation to reduce the flow of illegal drugs into the United States. The administration has positioned these operations as part of a broader strategy to combat drug trafficking organizations operating in international waters.

The strikes represent a significant increase in U.S. military action against suspected drug trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific, an area that serves as a major transit route for narcotics heading toward North American markets.