US military watchdog probes strikes on alleged drug boats: reports

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Washington DC: The Pentagon's independent watchdog has launched an official probe into the legality of a highly criticized U.S. military operation targeting alleged drug boats.

The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General initiated the evaluation following media reports on Monday regarding ‘Operation Southern Spear,’ a campaign that has resulted in at least 192 fatalities.

Legal experts and prominent human rights groups have raised severe concerns, suggesting the lethal strikes could potentially amount to extrajudicial killings because they appear to target civilians who present no immediate physical threat to the United States. Furthermore, the administration has consistently failed to provide definitive public evidence linking the intercepted vessels to illicit narcotics trafficking.

According to an official memorandum, the federal inquiry aims to determine whether the Pentagon strictly adhered to the mandatory six-step Joint Targeting Cycle.

Investigative teams are scheduled to perform comprehensive evaluations at the Pentagon and the U.S. Southern Command headquarters in Florida. The investigation marks a major blow to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who previously lauded the campaign as a massive strategic success