According to a senior military official, the US armed forces executed a lethal kinetic engagement on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing four people.
“A US joint task force conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a craft operated by a terrorist group in open sea. Surveillance verified the vessel was transiting along a established narco-trafficking route and was involved in illicit drug transport. All four male narco-terrorists were eliminated, and no US military forces were harmed.”
This announcement follows a day after an announcement regarding a naval blockade of all targeted oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. In that announcement on social media, the American leader alleged Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund narcotics smuggling and criminal activities, vowing to increase the military presence.
Only on Tuesday, the Pentagon said it had carried out strikes on three boats it accused of smuggling narcotics in the Pacific, leading to the deaths of eight people. Beginning on 2 September, more than 20 strikes have killed at least 99 individuals, most off the coast of Venezuela.
The government has faced increasing demands to release video of a September 2nd vessel attack. However, the defense secretary have refused to do so. The administration has defended its efforts as a successful operation, arguing it has prevented drugs from entering US shores and has dismissed concerns that it is stretching the bounds of legal military action.
While the administration has said the operation is about stopping drugs headed to the US, comments from a top official seemed to confirm a wider political aim. In a recent interview, the chief of staff remarked the leader “aims to keep on destroying vessels until the Venezuelan president cries uncle.”
This indicates the military campaign may be linked to a push to remove Venezuela's current leadership.
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