US Armed Forces Conducts Lethal Attack in Eastern Pacific, Resulting in 4 Fatalities
As stated by a senior military official, the American armed forces executed a fatal kinetic engagement on a boat in the eastern Pacific, resulting in the deaths of four people.
“Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a craft linked to a terrorist group in open sea. Intelligence verified the vessel was transiting along a established drug smuggling route and was involved in illicit drug transport. A total of four male narco-terrorists were eliminated, and no American forces were injured.”
Background and Prior Strikes
The statement comes a day after a declaration regarding a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. In that announcement on online platforms, the American leader accused Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund drug trafficking and other crimes, pledging to escalate the military presence.
Only on Tuesday, the Pentagon said it had conducted strikes on three boats suspected of trafficking drugs in the Pacific, leading to the deaths of eight people. Since 2 September, over 20 strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 99 people, most off the coast of Venezuela.
Administration Justifies Tactics Amid Scrutiny
The government has faced increasing pressure to make public video of a September 2nd vessel attack. But, officials have declined to do so. The administration has supported its campaign as a success, arguing it has stopped drugs from entering US shores and has pushed back on concerns that it is exceeding the limits of legal military action.
Although the administration has said the operation is about stopping drugs headed to the US, comments from a senior aide seemed to confirm a wider political objective. In a recent interview, the chief of staff said the leader “aims to keep on blowing boats up until Venezuela's president surrenders or concedes.”
This indicates the military campaign may be linked to a strategy to remove Venezuela's sitting government.