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According to a high-ranking defense official, the US military executed a fatal 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 vessel linked to a terrorist group in open sea. Surveillance confirmed the vessel was traveling along a established narco-trafficking route and was involved in narco-trafficking operations. A total of four male narco-terrorists were killed, and no US military forces were harmed.”

Background and Recent Strikes

This announcement comes a day after a declaration regarding a blockade of all targeted oil tankers to and from Venezuela. That statement on social media, the American leader accused Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund drug trafficking and other crimes, pledging to escalate the military buildup.

Only on Tuesday, the Pentagon stated it had conducted strikes on three boats it accused of smuggling narcotics in the Pacific, killing eight people. Since 2 September, over 20 strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 99 individuals, the majority off the coast of Venezuela.

Government Justifies Tactics Amidst Pressure

The administration has faced growing demands to make public video of a September 2nd vessel attack. But, officials have declined to do so. The administration has defended its campaign as a success, arguing it has stopped drugs from entering US shores and has dismissed concerns that it is exceeding the limits of lawful warfare.

Although the administration has stated the operation is about stopping drugs headed to the US, comments from a top official seemed to suggest a wider geopolitical objective. In a recently published interview, the senior advisor remarked the leader “wants to keep on destroying vessels until Venezuela's president surrenders or concedes.”

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