US Armed Forces Executes Lethal Attack in Pacific, Leading to 4 Deaths
According to a high-ranking military spokesperson, the American armed forces executed a fatal kinetic engagement on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing four individuals.
“A US joint task force conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a terrorist group in international waters. Surveillance confirmed the vessel was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. All four male narco-terrorists were killed, and no American forces were injured.”
Background and Recent Actions
The statement comes a day after a declaration regarding a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. In that announcement on social media, the US president accused Venezuela of using oil profits to fund drug trafficking and other crimes, vowing to escalate the military presence.
Only on the previous day, US defense officials said it had conducted strikes on three boats it accused of trafficking drugs in the Pacific, killing eight people. Beginning on 2 September, over 20 military engagements have resulted in the deaths of at least 99 people, most off the coast of Venezuela.
Government Defends Tactics Amid Scrutiny
The administration has faced increasing pressure to make public video of a 2 September vessel attack. However, the defense secretary have refused to do so. The administration has supported its campaign as a success, arguing it has prevented drugs from reaching US shores and has dismissed concerns that it is exceeding the limits of lawful warfare.
Although the administration has said the campaign is about halting drugs headed to the US, comments from a senior aide seemed to confirm a wider geopolitical aim. In a recently published interview, the senior advisor said the president “wants to keep on destroying vessels until the Venezuelan president cries uncle.”
This suggests the series of strikes may be linked to a push to remove Venezuela's current government.
