The United States military has carried out another deadly strike against a vessel linked to drug trafficking and terrorism in the Eastern Pacific, resulting in the deaths of two individuals. The operation, confirmed by US Southern Command, marks a continued escalation of Washington's pressure campaign against networks it alleges are fuelling the regime of Nicolas Maduro.
Details of the Lethal Engagement
According to an official statement released on Monday, Joint Task Force Southern Spear executed a 'lethal kinetic strike' on a boat operated by Designated Terrorist Organisations. The action was taken on the direct orders of US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth. Intelligence indicated the vessel was actively engaged in narco-trafficking and transiting along known smuggling routes in international waters when it was engaged.
Authorities confirmed that two male narco-terrorists were killed in the operation, and emphasised that no US military personnel were harmed. This incident follows a pattern of similar strikes targeting drug-running operations in the region.
Trump's Revelation and Venezuelan Land Operations
The military's announcement came just hours after former President Donald Trump disclosed that US forces had 'hit' a dock area inside Venezuela used for loading drugs onto boats. This appears to be the first publicly acknowledged land operation within Venezuela's borders since the US administration intensified its campaign against the government of President Nicolas Maduro.
'There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs,' Trump stated. 'We hit all the boats, and now we hit the area... it's the implementation area. That's where they implement, and that is no longer around.' When pressed on whether the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was responsible, Trump was cryptic, saying, 'I know exactly who it was but I don't want to say who it was.' He has previously acknowledged authorising CIA covert operations in Venezuela.
Congressional Scrutiny and Mounting Casualties
This ongoing mission, primarily focused on military strikes against suspected drug trafficking vessels, has drawn intense oversight from the US Congress. The campaign has proven deadly: more than 100 people have been killed in over 20 separate strikes across the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
Earlier this month, US military leaders briefed lawmakers on a controversial incident from September. In that event, an initial American strike killed 11 people. Survivors of that first strike were subsequently killed in a second strike, ordered by Admiral Frank Bradley. Congressional Democrats have raised serious questions about whether this follow-up action complied with international law.
The strategy has been backed by a significant military buildup under the Trump administration, which has seen more than 15,000 troops deployed to the Caribbean region to support these counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism operations.
