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According to a high-ranking military spokesperson, the American military executed a fatal strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, resulting in the deaths of four individuals.

“Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out a deadly attack on a craft linked to a Designated Terrorist Organization in international waters. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along a established drug smuggling route and was engaged in illicit drug transport. A total of four male drug traffickers were eliminated, and no American forces were injured.”

Context and Prior Strikes

The statement comes a day after an announcement regarding a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers to and from 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 presence.

Only on the previous day, the Pentagon said it had carried out strikes on three boats it accused of trafficking drugs in the Pacific, killing eight people. Since 2 September, over 20 strikes have killed at least 99 people, most off the coast of Venezuela.

Administration Justifies Tactics Amidst Scrutiny

The administration has faced increasing pressure to make public video of a 2 September vessel attack. However, officials have declined to do so. The administration has supported its campaign as a successful operation, saying it has stopped drugs from reaching US shores and has pushed back on concerns that it is exceeding the limits of lawful warfare.

While the administration has stated the campaign is about halting drugs headed to the US, remarks from a senior aide seemed to confirm a broader geopolitical objective. In a recently published interview, the chief of staff said the president “wants to keep on blowing boats up until Venezuela's president surrenders or concedes.”

This indicates the military campaign may be linked to a strategy to remove Venezuela's current government.