American Armed Forces Conducts Deadly Attack in Pacific, Resulting in Four Deaths
As stated by a senior defense spokesperson, the US military executed a fatal strike on a boat in the eastern Pacific, killing four people.
“Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a craft operated by a terrorist group in open sea. Surveillance verified the vessel was traveling along a established narco-trafficking route and was involved in narco-trafficking operations. All four male narco-terrorists were killed, and no American forces were injured.”
Context and Prior Actions
This announcement follows a day after an announcement regarding a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers to and from Venezuela. That statement on online platforms, the US president alleged Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund drug trafficking and other crimes, pledging to escalate the military presence.
Only on Tuesday, the Pentagon said it had carried out strikes on three boats suspected of smuggling narcotics in the Pacific, killing eight people. Since 2 September, over 20 strikes have killed at least 99 people, the majority off the coast of Venezuela.
Government Defends Tactics Amid Scrutiny
The government has encountered increasing pressure to release video of a September 2nd vessel attack. However, the defense secretary have declined to do so. The administration has supported its campaign as a success, arguing it has stopped drugs from reaching US shores and has dismissed concerns that it is exceeding the bounds of lawful warfare.
Although the administration has said the operation is about halting drugs destined for the US, comments from a senior aide seemed to suggest a broader political aim. In a recently published interview, the chief of staff remarked the leader “aims to keep on blowing boats up until Venezuela's president cries uncle.”
This suggests the series of strikes may be linked to a push to oust Venezuela's sitting leadership.
