US Armed Forces Executes Deadly Strike in Eastern Pacific, Resulting in 4 Fatalities
According to a senior defense spokesperson, the US armed forces executed a fatal strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing four individuals.
“A US joint task force conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a craft operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization in international waters. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. A total of four male narco-terrorists were killed, and no US military forces were harmed.”
Background and Recent Actions
The statement comes a day after a declaration regarding a naval blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. In that announcement on social media, the US president accused Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund drug trafficking and other crimes, vowing to escalate the military buildup.
Just on Tuesday, the Pentagon stated it had conducted strikes on three boats suspected of trafficking drugs in the Pacific, killing eight people. Beginning on 2 September, over 20 strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 99 people, the majority off the coast of Venezuela.
Administration Defends Tactics Amid Pressure
The administration has faced growing pressure to release video of a September 2nd vessel attack. However, the defense secretary have refused to do so. The administration has defended its campaign as a success, arguing it has prevented drugs from reaching US shores and has dismissed concerns that it is stretching the bounds of lawful warfare.
While the administration has stated the operation is about stopping drugs headed to the US, comments from a senior aide seemed to confirm a broader political objective. In a recent interview, the senior advisor said the president “aims to keep on destroying vessels until the Venezuelan president cries uncle.”
This indicates the series of strikes may be part of a strategy to oust Venezuela's current government.
