American Military Conducts Deadly Attack in Pacific, Resulting in 4 Fatalities
According to a senior defense spokesperson, the US military carried out a lethal kinetic engagement on a boat in the eastern Pacific, killing four individuals.
“A US joint task force conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a craft operated by a terrorist group in open sea. Surveillance verified the vessel was transiting along a known drug smuggling route and was engaged in illicit drug transport. A total of four male narco-terrorists were eliminated, and no American forces were harmed.”
Context and Prior Actions
The statement follows a day after a declaration regarding a naval blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. In that announcement on social media, the US president accused Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund narcotics smuggling and criminal activities, pledging to increase the military presence.
Only on the previous day, the Pentagon said it had conducted strikes on three boats suspected of trafficking drugs in the Pacific, killing eight people. Since 2 September, over 20 military engagements have killed at least 99 people, the majority off the coast of Venezuela.
Administration Defends Actions Amid Scrutiny
The government has encountered growing demands to make public video of a September 2nd vessel attack. However, the defense secretary have refused to do so. The administration has supported its campaign as a successful operation, saying it has prevented drugs from reaching US shores and has pushed back on concerns that it is stretching the bounds of legal military action.
While the administration has said the operation is about stopping drugs headed to the US, remarks from a senior aide appeared to suggest a broader geopolitical aim. In a recently published interview, the chief of staff said the leader “aims to keep on blowing boats up until Venezuela's president cries uncle.”
This suggests the series of strikes may be part of a strategy to remove Venezuela's current government.
