US Armed Forces Conducts Deadly Attack in Pacific, Resulting in 4 Deaths
According to a senior defense official, the American armed forces executed a fatal strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, resulting in the deaths of four individuals.
“A US joint task force carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a craft linked to a Designated Terrorist Organization in open sea. Surveillance verified the vessel was transiting along a established drug smuggling route and was involved in illicit drug transport. All four male narco-terrorists were eliminated, and no US military forces were harmed.”
Context and Recent Actions
The statement comes a day after an announcement regarding a blockade of all targeted oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. That statement on online platforms, the American leader accused Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund narcotics smuggling and other crimes, pledging to escalate the military buildup.
Only on the previous day, the Pentagon said it had carried out 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.
Government Justifies Tactics Amid Scrutiny
The government has encountered growing demands to make public video of a September 2nd vessel attack. But, officials have refused to do so. The administration has defended its efforts as a success, arguing it has stopped drugs from reaching US shores and has dismissed concerns that it is stretching the bounds of legal military action.
Although the administration has stated the campaign is about halting drugs headed to the US, remarks from a top official appeared to confirm a broader geopolitical aim. In a recent interview, the chief of staff said the leader “wants to keep on destroying vessels until Venezuela's president cries uncle.”
This indicates the military campaign may be part of a strategy to remove Venezuela's current government.
