US Military Executes Deadly Strike in Eastern Pacific, Leading to 4 Fatalities
According to a high-ranking defense official, the US armed forces executed a lethal strike on a boat in the Pacific Ocean, killing four people.
“Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out a deadly attack on a vessel linked to a Designated Terrorist Organization in open sea. Intelligence verified the vessel was traveling along a known drug smuggling route and was involved in narco-trafficking operations. All four male narco-terrorists were eliminated, and no US military forces were harmed.”
Background and Prior Strikes
The statement follows a day after a declaration regarding a blockade of all targeted oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. In that announcement on online platforms, the American leader accused Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund drug trafficking and other crimes, pledging to escalate the military presence.
Just on the previous day, US defense officials said it had carried out strikes on three boats suspected of trafficking drugs in the Pacific, leading to the deaths of eight people. Since 2 September, over 20 strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 99 people, most off the coast of Venezuela.
Administration Justifies Actions Amidst Pressure
The administration has faced increasing pressure to make public video of a 2 September vessel attack. But, officials have refused to do so. The administration has supported its campaign as a success, arguing it has stopped drugs from entering US shores and has pushed back on concerns that it is stretching the bounds of legal military action.
Although the administration has stated the campaign is about stopping drugs headed to the US, remarks from a senior aide appeared to confirm a wider political aim. In a recently published interview, the chief of staff remarked the leader “aims to keep on blowing boats up until the Venezuelan president cries uncle.”
This indicates the military campaign may be part of a push to remove Venezuela's current leadership.
