The United States military announced on Friday that it conducted a lethal strike on a vessel suspected of engaging in drug trafficking activities in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. This operation marks the first known attack following the recent raid that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.
According to the U.S. Southern Command, the targeted boat was involved in narco-trafficking operations, resulting in the death of two individuals and leaving one survivor. The Command also stated that it informed the U.S. Coast Guard to initiate search and rescue efforts for the survivor.
A video shared alongside the announcement depicts the vessel moving through the water before erupting in flames.
In recent times, the U.S. military has been concentrating on seizing sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela, following the Trump administration’s bold attempt to apprehend Maduro and bring him to New York to face drug trafficking charges.
Since early September, there have been a total of 36 documented strikes against suspected drug smuggling vessels in South American waters, resulting in the deaths of at least 117 individuals. The majority of these strikes have taken place in the Caribbean Sea.
The most recent reported boat attacks occurred in late December, where the military targeted five alleged drug-smuggling boats over a span of two days, resulting in the deaths of eight individuals, while some individuals leaped overboard. The Coast Guard later halted its search operations.
On January 3, a significant strike was carried out in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, leading to the capture of Maduro and his wife, who were subsequently transported to New York to face federal drug trafficking charges.
Prior to his apprehension, Maduro criticized the U.S. military operations as an attempt to remove him from power.
President Donald Trump has consistently emphasized that the U.S. strikes aimed at suspected smugglers are effectively disrupting drug trafficking routes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific regions. Trump asserted at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that the U.S. has nearly halted the influx of drugs via water routes.
