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According to a senior military official, the American military executed a fatal kinetic engagement on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing four individuals.

“A US joint task force carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel linked to a terrorist group in international waters. Surveillance confirmed the vessel was traveling along a known drug smuggling route and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. A total of four male drug traffickers were killed, and no American forces were injured.”

Background and Recent Strikes

This announcement comes a day after an announcement regarding a naval blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. In that announcement on social media, the US president alleged Venezuela of using oil profits to fund drug trafficking and criminal activities, pledging to escalate the military buildup.

Just on Tuesday, US defense officials said it had conducted strikes on three boats suspected of trafficking drugs in the Pacific, killing eight people. Since 2 September, over 20 strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 99 people, the majority off the coast of Venezuela.

Administration Justifies Actions Amidst Pressure

The administration has faced increasing 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 successful operation, arguing it has stopped drugs from reaching US shores and has dismissed concerns that it is stretching the bounds of lawful warfare.

While the administration has said the operation is about stopping drugs headed to the US, remarks from a senior aide seemed to confirm a broader geopolitical aim. In a recent interview, the chief of staff said the leader “wants to keep on blowing boats up until the Venezuelan president surrenders or concedes.”

This suggests the military campaign may be part of a strategy to remove Venezuela's current government.