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The US Coast Guard on Friday released video of its forces shooting out the engines of a suspected smuggling boat and arresting the crew, a successful interdiction that raises fresh questions about why the Pentagon is carrying out lethal strikes on drug smugglers in the same region.
The footage, reported by Fox News, shows a Coast Guard sniper disabling a “go-fast” vessel during Operation Pacific Viper before officers board and detain those on board. The service said more than 20,000 pounds of cocaine were seized — the largest at-sea haul in over 18 years.
The mission occurred in the eastern Pacific, where a Pentagon strike earlier this week killed four suspected smugglers. The Coast Guard’s ability to stop traffickers without deadly force is fueling scrutiny over the necessity and legality of the Pentagon’s lethal operations.