WASHINGTON – The Pentagon’s inspector general announced Monday that he is investigating the U.S. Southern Command for suspected drug smuggling vessels in the military’s anti-drug cartel operation, which some critics say is illegal.
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Since the operation began last fall, Southern Command has targeted about 60 small vessels that the military says transport drugs through the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean, destroying 59 and killing 193 people, according to the Pentagon.
According to a May 11 letter from the Pentagon’s Office of the Inspector General, the internal watchdog agency will review Southern Command intelligence and targets used in the airstrikes, as well as other aspects of operations against drug cartels.
“The scope of this assessment includes a collaborative process for vessels targeted in U.S. Southern Command waters as part of Operation Southern Spear,” a spokesperson for the inspector general said in a separate statement to the media.
Operation Southern Spear is the name of the Pentagon’s operation against suspected drug smuggling vessels.
The inspector general has launched an investigation, a spokesperson said. “This project was initiated on a voluntary basis based on the[Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s]ongoing assessment of…programs and operations.”
U.S. officials said it was unclear how long the investigation would take. This includes investigations inside the Pentagon and at the Southern Command headquarters in Miami, the letter said.
There was no immediate comment from Southern Command or the Pentagon.
The study will examine military doctrine governing how Southern forces target drug traffickers in small boats, the letter said.
In this context, U.S. officials say the target-setting process is divided into six stages: commander intent, development of each target, analysis and information surrounding each target, decision to attack that target, planning and execution, and evaluation.
NBC News reported in November that the senior military lawyer for Combatant Command, which oversaw the deadly attack on an alleged drug-smuggling vessel in waters near Venezuela, disagreed with the Trump administration’s position that the operation was legal and his opinion was ignored.
Many lawmakers, including some Republicans, have condemned the operation, questioning its legality and calling for increased oversight. The war with Iran has diverted attention from the ongoing attacks. Southern forces have carried out three airstrikes so far in May, killing seven people, according to Pentagon data.
In one instance, the US targeted a boat containing survivors and struck again, killing those people. This may violate the laws of armed conflict.
Shortly after the Pentagon launched an operation against drug cartels in September, Southern Command commander Gen. Alvin Holsey announced he would step down after just a year. His successor was Marine Corps Gen. Frank Donovan.
