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According to a senior defense official, the American armed forces executed a fatal strike on a vessel in the Pacific Ocean, killing four individuals.

“A US joint task force carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a craft linked to a terrorist group in open sea. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was traveling along a established narco-trafficking route and was involved in narco-trafficking operations. All four male drug traffickers were killed, and no US military forces were harmed.”

Context and Prior Strikes

This announcement comes a day after a declaration regarding a blockade of all targeted oil tankers to and from Venezuela. That statement on online platforms, the US president alleged Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund narcotics smuggling and criminal activities, vowing to escalate the military presence.

Just on Tuesday, the Pentagon said it had carried out strikes on three boats suspected of smuggling narcotics in the Pacific, killing eight people. Beginning on 2 September, more than 20 strikes have killed at least 99 people, 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. However, the defense secretary have declined to do so. The administration has supported its campaign as a success, arguing it has prevented drugs from entering US shores and has dismissed concerns that it is stretching the limits of lawful warfare.

While 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 chief of staff remarked the leader “wants to keep on blowing boats up until Venezuela's president cries uncle.”

This suggests the military campaign may be part of a push to oust Venezuela's current leadership.