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According to a senior defense official, the US military executed a lethal kinetic engagement on a vessel in the Pacific Ocean, killing four people.

“A US joint task force carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a craft operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization in international waters. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was traveling along a established narco-trafficking route and was engaged in illicit drug transport. A total of four male narco-terrorists were eliminated, and no American forces were injured.”

Context and Recent Strikes

This announcement comes a day after an announcement regarding a blockade of all targeted oil tankers to and from Venezuela. That statement on social media, the American leader accused Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund drug trafficking and criminal activities, vowing to escalate the military buildup.

Only on the previous day, the Pentagon stated it had conducted strikes on three boats it accused of trafficking drugs in the Pacific, leading to the deaths of eight people. Since 2 September, over 20 strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 99 individuals, the majority off the coast of Venezuela.

Administration Justifies Actions Amidst Scrutiny

The administration has faced increasing demands to release video of a September 2nd vessel attack. However, the defense secretary have refused to do so. The administration has defended its efforts as a success, saying 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 stopping drugs destined for the US, comments from a top official seemed to confirm a wider political objective. In a recently published interview, the senior advisor said the leader “wants to keep on destroying vessels until the Venezuelan president surrenders or concedes.”

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