American Military Conducts Deadly Attack in Eastern Pacific, Leading to Four Deaths
As stated by a senior military official, the American armed forces executed a fatal strike on a boat in the Pacific Ocean, resulting in the deaths of four people.
“Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out a deadly attack on a craft linked to a terrorist group in international waters. Surveillance confirmed the vessel was transiting along a established narco-trafficking route and was involved in illicit drug transport. A total of four male narco-terrorists were eliminated, and no US military forces were injured.”
Background and Prior Strikes
This announcement comes a day after an announcement regarding a 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 escalate the military buildup.
Only on Tuesday, the Pentagon said 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 strikes have killed at least 99 people, most off the coast of Venezuela.
Government Defends Tactics Amid Pressure
The government has encountered growing pressure to make public video of a September 2nd vessel attack. However, the defense secretary have refused to do so. The administration has defended 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 lawful warfare.
Although the administration has said the operation is about stopping drugs destined for the US, remarks from a top official appeared to suggest a wider political objective. In a recent interview, the chief of staff remarked the leader “wants to keep on destroying vessels until Venezuela's president surrenders or concedes.”
This indicates the series of strikes may be part of a push to remove Venezuela's sitting leadership.
