The United States military has conducted a series of attacks on vessels in the Pacific Ocean, resulting in 14 confirmed fatalities and ongoing efforts too rescue a survivor, officials confirmed Thursday. This marks the first multiple attack of 11 reported incidents by Washington, which has yet to provide supporting evidence for its actions.
The attacks,carried out without judicial proceedings or a declaration of war from the US Congress,have sparked criticism from Colombia and Venezuela,as several of the targeted ships reportedly originated from those countries. U.S. Southern Command initiated a search and rescue protocol after the attacks, but Mexican authorities have since assumed responsibility for coordinating the rescue of the survivor, according to a U.S. official.
Each of the first three vessels attacked carried four people,while the fourth had a crew of three. The U.S. operations were conducted in international waters, away from the Mexican coast, according to the Mexican Navy secretariat, though they did not comment on the survivor rescue operation.
The situation remains fluid as investigations continue and diplomatic tensions rise. CNN reached out to the US Southern Command for comment but has not yet received a response.
Lizbeth Padilla,Mauricio Torres and Uriel Blanco contributed to this report.