US conducts 20th strike on alleged drug trafficker boat

The official said 79 people have been killed and two were wounded and repatriated to their home countries, while there was one attempted rescue at sea by Mexican authorities as a result of the strikes.

The strikes against suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean and off the Pacific coasts of Latin America have killed dozens of people, who President Donald Trump's administration calls drug-trafficking terrorists responsible for thousands of deaths in the US, without providing evidence.

The US government has not publicly explained the legal justification for its decision to attack the boats.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday pushed back against criticism from some US allies over the legality of the strikes, saying Europeans don't get to dictate how Washington defends its national security.