US Military Executes Lethal Strike in Eastern Pacific, Leading to Four Fatalities
As stated by a senior military spokesperson, the American armed forces executed a lethal kinetic engagement on a boat in the Pacific Ocean, resulting in the deaths of four individuals.
“A US joint task force carried out a deadly attack on a craft operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization in open sea. Surveillance verified the vessel was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. All four male drug traffickers were killed, and no US military forces were injured.”
Background and Prior Strikes
The statement comes a day after a declaration regarding a blockade of all targeted oil tankers to and from Venezuela. That statement on online platforms, the American leader accused Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund drug trafficking and criminal activities, vowing to increase the military presence.
Only on Tuesday, the Pentagon stated it had carried out strikes on three boats suspected of trafficking drugs in the Pacific, killing eight people. Since 2 September, over 20 strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 99 people, the majority off the coast of Venezuela.
Government Justifies Actions Amid Pressure
The administration has faced increasing pressure to release video of a September 2nd vessel attack. However, officials have declined to do so. The administration has supported its efforts as a successful operation, saying it has prevented drugs from entering US shores and has dismissed concerns that it is stretching the bounds of legal military action.
Although the administration has said the operation is about halting drugs headed to the US, remarks from a top official seemed to suggest a wider political objective. In a recent interview, the senior advisor remarked the leader “wants to keep on blowing boats up until Venezuela's president surrenders or concedes.”
This suggests the series of strikes may be linked to a strategy to remove Venezuela's sitting government.
