24 DAILY NEWS – The Pentagon asserts that recent attacks on civilian vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific have significantly reduced the influx of illegal drugs into the United States, with President Donald Trump claiming these measures have saved over a million American lives. However, experts have dismissed these assertions as unfounded, with reporting from The Intercept indicating that the claims made by the White House and the Pentagon lack credible support.
## Operation Southern Spear
Under Operation Southern Spear, military actions have targeted 54 vessels since September, resulting in the deaths of over 185 civilians. The latest incident occurred on April 26 in the Pacific, claiming three lives. The Trump administration alleges these victims were affiliated with various cartels, though it has not disclosed specific names.
Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the leading Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized the administration for failing to clarify the mission’s long-term objectives or provide evidence of diminished drug trafficking. “What is the operation actually meant to accomplish?” Reed questioned
