American Military Conducts Deadly Attack in Eastern Pacific, Leading to 4 Fatalities
As stated by a high-ranking military official, the US military carried out a lethal strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing four people.
“Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a craft operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization in open sea. Surveillance confirmed the vessel was traveling along a known narco-trafficking route and was involved in narco-trafficking operations. 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 to and from Venezuela. That statement on online platforms, the American leader accused Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund narcotics smuggling and criminal activities, vowing to escalate the military presence.
Only on Tuesday, the Pentagon stated it had conducted strikes on three boats it accused of smuggling narcotics in the Pacific, leading to the deaths of eight people. Since 2 September, more than 20 strikes have killed at least 99 individuals, most off the coast of Venezuela.
Government Defends Actions Amidst Pressure
The government has encountered increasing pressure to release video of a 2 September vessel attack. But, the defense secretary have refused to do so. The administration has defended its efforts as a success, arguing it has stopped drugs from entering US shores and has pushed back on concerns that it is stretching the limits of lawful warfare.
Although the administration has said the campaign is about stopping drugs destined for the US, remarks from a senior aide seemed to confirm a broader geopolitical aim. In a recently published interview, the chief of staff said the leader “wants to keep on destroying vessels until Venezuela's president surrenders or concedes.”
This indicates the series of strikes may be linked to a push to remove Venezuela's current leadership.
