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According to a high-ranking military spokesperson, the American armed forces carried out a lethal kinetic engagement on a boat in the Pacific Ocean, killing four people.

“A US joint task force carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a craft operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization in open sea. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along a known drug smuggling route and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. All four male drug traffickers were killed, and no US military forces were harmed.”

Background and Recent Strikes

The statement follows a day after an announcement regarding a naval blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. That statement on social media, the US president accused Venezuela of using oil profits to fund drug trafficking and criminal activities, vowing to escalate the military buildup.

Only on the previous day, the Pentagon said it had conducted strikes on three boats suspected of trafficking drugs in the Pacific, leading to the deaths of eight people. Since 2 September, over 20 strikes have killed at least 99 people, most off the coast of Venezuela.

Administration Justifies Actions Amid Pressure

The administration has encountered increasing demands to release video of a 2 September vessel attack. However, officials have declined to do so. The administration has defended its campaign as a success, arguing it has prevented drugs from reaching US shores and has pushed back on concerns that it is exceeding the bounds of legal military action.

Although the administration has stated the campaign is about halting drugs destined for the US, remarks from a top official seemed to suggest a broader geopolitical objective. In a recent interview, the chief of staff remarked the leader “wants to keep on destroying vessels until Venezuela's president surrenders or concedes.”

This suggests the military campaign may be linked to a strategy to oust Venezuela's current leadership.