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According to a high-ranking defense official, the US military carried out a lethal kinetic engagement on a vessel in the Pacific Ocean, killing four people.

“A US joint task force conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel linked to a terrorist group in open sea. Surveillance confirmed the vessel was traveling along a known narco-trafficking route and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. All four male narco-terrorists were eliminated, and no American forces were injured.”

Background and Recent Strikes

This announcement comes a day after an announcement regarding a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. In that announcement on online platforms, the American leader alleged Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund narcotics smuggling and criminal activities, pledging to escalate the military buildup.

Just on Tuesday, the Pentagon said it had carried out strikes on three boats it accused of smuggling narcotics in the Pacific, killing eight people. Beginning on 2 September, over 20 strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 99 people, most off the coast of Venezuela.

Administration Justifies Actions Amidst Scrutiny

The government has encountered increasing pressure to make public video of a 2 September vessel attack. But, the defense secretary have refused to do so. The administration has supported its efforts as a successful operation, arguing it has stopped 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 said the operation is about stopping drugs destined for the US, remarks from a senior aide appeared to suggest a wider geopolitical objective. In a recently published 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 part of a push to remove Venezuela's sitting government.