US Armed Forces Conducts Deadly Strike in Eastern Pacific, Leading to Four Fatalities

As stated by a high-ranking military spokesperson, the US military executed a fatal strike on a boat in the eastern Pacific, resulting in the deaths of four people.

“Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a deadly attack on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization in international waters. Intelligence verified the vessel was transiting along a established narco-trafficking route and was engaged in illicit drug transport. All four male narco-terrorists were killed, and no American forces were injured.”

Context and Prior Actions

This announcement comes a day after a declaration regarding a naval blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. In that announcement on online platforms, the US president accused Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund drug trafficking and other crimes, pledging to escalate the military presence.

Only on the previous day, the Pentagon stated it had carried out strikes on three boats it accused of trafficking drugs in the Pacific, leading to the deaths of eight people. Since 2 September, over 20 military engagements have resulted in the deaths of at least 99 people, the majority off the coast of Venezuela.

Government Defends Actions Amidst Pressure

The government has encountered increasing pressure to make public 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 stopped drugs from reaching US shores and has dismissed concerns that it is exceeding the limits of legal military action.

Although the administration has said the campaign is about stopping drugs headed to the US, remarks from a top official seemed to suggest a wider geopolitical objective. In a recently published interview, the senior advisor said the president “wants to keep on destroying vessels until Venezuela's president cries uncle.”

This suggests the military campaign may be linked to a push to remove Venezuela's current leadership.