US Military Executes Deadly Attack in Pacific, Resulting in 4 Fatalities
According to a senior defense official, the American armed forces carried out a lethal strike on a boat in the Pacific Ocean, killing four people.
“Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a craft linked to a Designated Terrorist Organization in open sea. Surveillance confirmed the vessel was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. All four male narco-terrorists were eliminated, and no American forces were injured.”
Context and Prior Strikes
The statement comes a day after an announcement regarding a naval blockade of all targeted oil tankers to and from Venezuela. That statement on online platforms, the US president alleged Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund drug trafficking and other crimes, pledging to increase the military presence.
Only on Tuesday, the Pentagon said it had carried out strikes on three boats it accused of trafficking drugs in the Pacific, killing eight people. Since 2 September, over 20 strikes have killed at least 99 people, most off the coast of Venezuela.
Government Defends Tactics Amidst Scrutiny
The administration has faced increasing pressure to release video of a 2 September vessel attack. But, the defense secretary have refused to do so. The administration has supported its campaign as a success, saying it has stopped drugs from reaching US shores and has dismissed concerns that it is stretching the bounds of legal military action.
While 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 recently published interview, the chief of staff remarked the president “wants to keep on destroying vessels until Venezuela's president surrenders or concedes.”
This indicates the military campaign may be part of a push to remove Venezuela's current leadership.
