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According to a senior military official, the US military executed a lethal kinetic engagement on a boat in the eastern Pacific, resulting in the deaths of four individuals.

“Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a craft operated by a terrorist group in open sea. Intelligence verified 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 eliminated, and no American forces were harmed.”

Background and Recent Actions

This announcement follows a day after an announcement regarding a naval blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. In that announcement on online platforms, the US president accused Venezuela of using oil profits to fund drug trafficking and criminal activities, vowing to increase the military buildup.

Only on the previous day, the Pentagon stated 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, more than 20 strikes have killed at least 99 individuals, the majority off the coast of Venezuela.

Government Defends Tactics Amidst Pressure

The government has faced growing pressure to make public video of a September 2nd vessel attack. But, officials have refused to do so. The administration has supported its efforts 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.

Although the administration has stated the campaign is about stopping drugs headed to the US, remarks from a top official seemed to confirm a broader political objective. In a recent interview, the chief of staff remarked the president “wants to keep on blowing boats up until Venezuela's president cries uncle.”

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