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As stated by a high-ranking defense official, the American armed forces executed a lethal strike on a boat in the eastern Pacific, resulting in the deaths of 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 verified the vessel was transiting along a known drug smuggling route and was involved in illicit drug transport. A total of four male narco-terrorists were eliminated, and no US military forces were harmed.”

Background and Recent Strikes

The statement comes a day after a declaration regarding a naval blockade of all targeted oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. That statement on social media, the US president accused Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund narcotics smuggling and criminal activities, vowing to increase the military buildup.

Only on the previous day, US defense officials said 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 Justifies Tactics Amidst Scrutiny

The government has encountered increasing pressure to release video of a 2 September vessel attack. But, officials have refused to do so. The administration has supported its campaign as a successful operation, saying it has prevented drugs from entering US shores and has pushed back on concerns that it is exceeding the limits of lawful warfare.

Although the administration has said the operation is about halting drugs destined for the US, comments from a senior aide seemed to suggest a wider political objective. In a recently published interview, the chief of staff said the president “aims to keep on destroying vessels until the Venezuelan president surrenders or concedes.”

This suggests the military campaign may be linked to a push to remove Venezuela's sitting government.