The US military said it killed three men in a strike on an alleged drug-trafficking boat in the Caribbean on Sunday

This is the latest in a controversial campaign that has killed at least 180 people since last year, according to the AFP news agency.

The US Southern Command said that it "conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations" which killed "male narco-terrorists," in a post on X.

A video of the strike ‌showed an explosion of a small ‌boat traveling on open water.

The post added that the vessel was operating along known narcotics-smuggling routes and was engaged in trafficking activity when it was targeted. It said US forces suffered no casualties.

What does the Trump administration say?

The Trump administration says it is combating what it calls "narco-terrorists" in Latin America and has carried out repeated strikes on suspected smuggling boats since September.

Since then, the US has built up its largest military presence in the region in generations.

US President Donald Trump has said the country is in "armed conflict" with cartels in Latin America as it seeks to curb the flow of drugs inside its borders.

However, critics have questioned the legality of the operations, pointing out that the Trump administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing "narco-terrorists."

Edited by: Wesley Dockery