American Armed Forces Conducts Deadly Attack in Eastern Pacific, Leading to 4 Deaths
As stated by a senior military official, the US military executed a fatal strike on a boat in the eastern Pacific, killing four individuals.
“Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out a deadly attack on a craft linked to a Designated Terrorist Organization in open sea. Intelligence verified the vessel was traveling along a established 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 Actions
The statement follows a day after a declaration regarding a naval blockade of all targeted oil tankers to and from Venezuela. That statement on social media, the US president alleged Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund drug trafficking and other crimes, vowing to escalate the military buildup.
Only on the previous day, the Pentagon said it had conducted strikes on three boats it accused of trafficking drugs in the Pacific, leading to the deaths of eight people. Beginning on 2 September, more than 20 strikes have killed at least 99 people, the majority off the coast of Venezuela.
Administration Defends Tactics Amidst Scrutiny
The administration has encountered increasing pressure to release video of a 2 September vessel attack. However, the defense secretary have declined to do so. The administration has defended its campaign as a successful operation, arguing it has prevented drugs from entering US shores and has dismissed concerns that it is stretching the limits of lawful warfare.
Although the administration has said the operation is about halting drugs destined for the US, comments from a senior aide seemed to confirm a broader political objective. In a recently published interview, the chief of staff said the leader “wants to keep on blowing boats up until the Venezuelan president cries uncle.”
This suggests the series of strikes may be part of a strategy to remove Venezuela's current government.
