The United States military has conducted a deadly kinetic strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in four fatalities, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has confirmed. The announcement intensifies a military campaign in the region, coming just one day after former President Donald Trump declared a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.
Details of the Lethal Engagement
In a statement posted on the social media platform X, Pete Hegseth outlined the operation. "Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organisation in international waters," he wrote. The Defence Secretary stated that intelligence confirmed the vessel was travelling along a known narco-trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific and was actively engaged in trafficking operations.
The strike led to the deaths of what Hegseth described as "four male narco-terrorists." He confirmed that no US military personnel were harmed during the engagement. This incident follows a pattern of similar actions, with the Pentagon reporting strikes on three boats accused of drug trafficking just the day before, which killed eight people.
Broader Campaign and Political Context
The military action is part of a significant escalation in the region. Since the 2nd of September, more than 20 US strikes have killed at least 99 people, predominantly off the coast of Venezuela. The administration has framed this campaign as a critical effort to prevent drugs from reaching American shores, defending its tactics as a successful counter-narcotics strategy.
However, the campaign's objectives appear to extend beyond interdiction. In a recent Vanity Fair interview, Trump's chief of staff, Susie Wiles, suggested the operations are part of a push to destabilise the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Wiles stated Trump "wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle."
This revelation aligns with Trump's own announcement of a full naval blockade on Venezuelan oil tankers, where he accused Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund drug trafficking and other criminal enterprises.
Scrutiny and Secrecy
The administration is facing growing calls for transparency, particularly regarding a vessel attack that occurred on the 2nd of September. Critics have demanded the release of video footage from the engagement. Secretary Hegseth has so far refused to release the material, while the administration continues to push back against concerns that its aggressive tactics may be stretching the legal boundaries of warfare.
The combined strategy of direct military strikes and an economic blockade marks a sharp intensification of pressure on the Maduro regime, intertwining the US's war on drugs with its broader geopolitical objectives in Latin America.
