American Military Executes Deadly Attack in Pacific, Resulting in Four Deaths
As stated by a high-ranking defense spokesperson, the American armed forces executed a lethal strike on a vessel in the Pacific Ocean, killing four people.
“Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a deadly attack on a craft linked to a terrorist group in open sea. Surveillance verified the vessel was traveling along a known narco-trafficking route and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. All four male drug traffickers were eliminated, and no American forces were harmed.”
Background and Recent Strikes
This announcement follows a day after an announcement regarding a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers to and from Venezuela. That statement on social media, the US president alleged Venezuela of using oil profits to fund drug trafficking and other crimes, vowing to increase the military buildup.
Only on Tuesday, the Pentagon stated it had carried out strikes on three boats suspected of smuggling narcotics in the Pacific, killing eight people. Since 2 September, over 20 strikes have killed at least 99 individuals, the majority off the coast of Venezuela.
Government Justifies Tactics Amid Pressure
The government has faced growing pressure to release video of a September 2nd vessel attack. But, the defense secretary have refused to do so. The administration has supported its campaign as a success, saying it has stopped drugs from entering US shores and has pushed back on concerns that it is stretching the bounds of legal military action.
While the administration has said the campaign is about halting drugs headed to the US, remarks from a top official appeared to confirm a wider geopolitical aim. In a recent interview, the senior advisor said the leader “aims to keep on destroying vessels until Venezuela's president surrenders or concedes.”
This indicates the military campaign may be part of a strategy to oust Venezuela's current government.