AFP, Washington

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

This latest strike -- which follows dozens of similar attacks in recent months -- brings the US campaign’s death toll to at least 185, according to a tally compiled by AFP.

As with many previous attacks, the US military’s Southern Command said on X that the boat hit was “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations”.

The US has not provided evidence that the vessels it has been striking since September are involved in drug trafficking. 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 US.