The Pentagon's inspector general has opened an investigation into U.S. Southern Command's campaign targeting alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific, operations that have killed more than 190 people since last fall and drawn mounting scrutiny over their legality.
According according to a letter dated May 11 from the Pentagon's inspector general's office and published Monday by several outlets, the Defense Department watchdog will evaluate whether Southern Command followed approved targeting procedures during "Operation Southern Spear," the Trump administration's military campaign against suspected cartel-linked vessels.
