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As stated by a senior military official, the American armed forces carried out 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 vessel linked to a terrorist group in open sea. Surveillance confirmed the vessel was traveling along a known drug smuggling route and was involved in narco-trafficking operations. A total of four male narco-terrorists were killed, and no US military forces were harmed.”

Background and Recent Actions

This announcement follows a day after a declaration regarding a blockade of all targeted oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. In that announcement on online platforms, the US president accused Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund drug trafficking and criminal activities, pledging to escalate the military buildup.

Only on the previous day, the Pentagon stated 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 individuals, most off the coast of Venezuela.

Administration Defends Tactics Amid Scrutiny

The government has faced increasing pressure to release video of a September 2nd vessel attack. However, the defense secretary have refused to do so. The administration has supported its campaign as a success, saying it has prevented drugs from reaching US shores and has pushed back on concerns that it is stretching the bounds of legal military action.

While the administration has stated the operation is about stopping drugs destined for the US, comments from a senior aide seemed to suggest a broader political aim. In a recent interview, the senior advisor said the president “wants to keep on destroying vessels until Venezuela's president surrenders or concedes.”

This suggests the series of strikes may be linked to a push to remove Venezuela's sitting leadership.