American Armed Forces Executes Deadly Strike in Eastern Pacific, Leading to 4 Fatalities
As stated by a senior defense official, the US military carried out a lethal kinetic engagement on a boat in the Pacific Ocean, killing four people.
“Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel linked to a terrorist group in international waters. Surveillance verified the vessel was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route and was involved in illicit drug transport. All four male drug traffickers were eliminated, and no American forces were injured.”
Context and Recent Actions
The statement follows a day after an announcement regarding a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers to and from Venezuela. That statement on social media, the American leader alleged Venezuela of using oil profits to fund drug trafficking and criminal activities, vowing to escalate the military presence.
Just on Tuesday, the Pentagon stated it had carried out strikes on three boats suspected of trafficking drugs in the Pacific, killing eight people. Beginning on 2 September, over 20 strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 99 people, most off the coast of Venezuela.
Government Defends Actions Amidst Scrutiny
The government has encountered increasing demands to release video of a September 2nd vessel attack. However, the defense secretary have refused to do so. The administration has supported its efforts as a successful operation, saying it has prevented drugs from reaching US shores and has pushed back on concerns that it is exceeding the limits of legal military action.
While the administration has stated the operation is about halting drugs headed to the US, remarks from a senior aide seemed to suggest a wider political objective. In a recently published interview, the senior advisor said the leader “aims to keep on blowing boats up until Venezuela's president cries uncle.”
This indicates the series of strikes may be part of a strategy to remove Venezuela's sitting government.