🔗 Share this article

According to a senior military spokesperson, the American armed forces carried out a lethal kinetic engagement on a vessel in the Pacific Ocean, resulting in the deaths of four people.

“Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out a deadly attack on a vessel linked to a Designated Terrorist Organization in international waters. Surveillance verified the vessel was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route and was involved in narco-trafficking operations. All four male drug traffickers were killed, and no American forces were harmed.”

Context and Prior Strikes

The statement comes a day after an announcement regarding a naval blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers to and from Venezuela. In that announcement on online platforms, the US president accused Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund narcotics smuggling and other crimes, pledging to escalate the military presence.

Just 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, more than 20 strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 99 people, the majority off the coast of Venezuela.

Administration Defends Tactics Amid Scrutiny

The government has encountered increasing pressure to make public video of a 2 September vessel attack. But, officials have declined to do so. The administration has defended its campaign as a success, saying it has stopped drugs from reaching US shores and has dismissed concerns that it is exceeding the bounds of lawful warfare.

While the administration has stated the operation is about halting drugs headed to the US, remarks from a top official appeared to suggest a wider geopolitical objective. In a recently published interview, the senior advisor said the president “aims to keep on destroying vessels until Venezuela's president surrenders or concedes.”

This suggests the military campaign may be part of a strategy to oust Venezuela's current government.