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As stated by a senior defense official, the US military executed a lethal kinetic engagement on a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing four people.

“A US joint task force conducted a deadly attack on a vessel linked to a Designated Terrorist Organization in open sea. Surveillance confirmed the vessel was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. All four male drug traffickers were eliminated, and no US military forces were harmed.”

Background and Prior Actions

This announcement comes a day after a declaration regarding a naval blockade of all targeted oil tankers to and from Venezuela. In that announcement on social media, the US president alleged Venezuela of using oil profits to fund narcotics smuggling and other crimes, pledging to escalate the military presence.

Just on the previous day, US defense officials said it had carried out strikes on three boats it accused of trafficking drugs in the Pacific, leading to the deaths of eight people. Beginning on 2 September, more than 20 strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 99 people, the majority off the coast of Venezuela.

Administration Defends Actions Amidst Scrutiny

The administration has faced growing demands to release video of a September 2nd vessel attack. But, officials have refused to do so. The administration has defended its campaign as a successful operation, arguing it has stopped drugs from entering US shores and has pushed back on concerns that it is exceeding the bounds of legal military action.

While the administration has stated the operation is about halting drugs headed to the US, remarks from a senior aide appeared to suggest a wider political aim. In a recently published interview, the chief of staff remarked the president “wants to keep on destroying vessels until Venezuela's president surrenders or concedes.”

This suggests the series of strikes may be part of a push to remove Venezuela's sitting government.