American Armed Forces Executes Lethal Attack in Pacific, Resulting in 4 Deaths
As stated by a senior defense official, the US armed forces executed a lethal kinetic engagement on a boat in the eastern Pacific, killing four people.
“Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out a deadly attack on a vessel linked to a Designated Terrorist Organization in open sea. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along a established drug smuggling route and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. A total of four male drug traffickers were killed, and no American forces were injured.”
Context and Prior Strikes
This announcement follows a day after a declaration regarding a naval blockade of all targeted oil tankers to and from Venezuela. That statement on online platforms, the American leader alleged Venezuela of using oil profits to fund narcotics smuggling and criminal activities, vowing to increase the military presence.
Only on Tuesday, US defense officials stated 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, over 20 strikes have killed at least 99 individuals, the majority off the coast of Venezuela.
Government Defends Actions Amidst Scrutiny
The government has faced growing demands to release video of a September 2nd vessel attack. But, officials have declined to do so. The administration has defended its efforts as a successful operation, saying it has prevented drugs from reaching US shores and has pushed back on concerns that it is exceeding the limits of lawful warfare.
While the administration has stated the campaign is about halting drugs headed to the US, comments from a senior aide seemed to confirm a wider political objective. In a recent interview, the senior advisor said the president “wants to keep on destroying vessels until the Venezuelan president cries uncle.”
This indicates the series of strikes may be part of a strategy to remove Venezuela's sitting government.
