The US military said on Sunday three men were killed when it struck a boat it claimed was “engaged in narco-trafficking operations” in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

This latest strike – which follows dozens of similar attacks on alleged drug boats in recent months – brings the US campaign’s death toll to at least 185, according to a tally compiled by Agence France-Presse.

As with many previous attacks, the US military’s southern command said on X that the boat hit was “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” and that “intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes”.

The military posted a video showing a boat moving swiftly in the water before a explosion left it in flames.

The Trump administration has not provided definitive evidence that the vessels it has been striking since September are involved in drug trafficking, prompting debate about the legality of the operations.

Legal experts and rights groups suggest the strikes could amount to extrajudicial killings because they have apparently targeted civilians who do not pose an immediate threat to the US.

The attacks on boats began last year as the US built up its largest military presence in the region in generations and came months ahead of the raid in January that seized then-Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro. He was brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges and has pleaded not guilty.

Donald Trump has said the US is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the US.

No US military forces were injured in the operation, officials said in a statement on X.

With Agence-France Presse and Associated Press