American Military Executes Deadly Strike in Eastern Pacific, Resulting in 4 Deaths
As stated by a high-ranking military spokesperson, the US military executed a lethal strike on a boat in the eastern Pacific, killing four people.
“A US joint task force conducted a deadly attack on a craft operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization in international waters. Surveillance confirmed the vessel was traveling along a established drug smuggling route and was involved in illicit drug transport. All four male drug traffickers were killed, and no US military forces were injured.”
Background and Recent Strikes
The statement follows a day after an announcement regarding a naval blockade of all targeted oil tankers to and from Venezuela. That statement on social media, the American leader accused Venezuela of using oil profits to fund narcotics smuggling and criminal activities, pledging to increase the military buildup.
Only on the previous day, US defense officials 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, most off the coast of Venezuela.
Government Defends Tactics Amid Pressure
The administration has encountered growing demands to release video of a September 2nd vessel attack. However, the defense secretary have refused to do so. The administration has supported its campaign as a success, arguing it has prevented drugs from reaching US shores and has dismissed concerns that it is exceeding the limits of legal military action.
Although the administration has stated the operation is about stopping drugs headed to the US, comments from a senior aide appeared to suggest a wider geopolitical objective. In a recently published interview, the chief of staff said the president “wants to keep on destroying vessels until Venezuela's president cries uncle.”
This suggests the military campaign may be part of a push to remove Venezuela's sitting government.
