The U.S. military conducted operations targeting five suspected drug-smuggling vessels over a two-day period, resulting in the deaths of eight individuals, while others reportedly leaped overboard and potentially survived. The exact locations of the incidents on Tuesday and Wednesday were not disclosed by U.S. Southern Command, responsible for overseeing South America. Past operations have typically occurred in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.
Footage released by Southern Command depicted three boats traveling closely together, an unusual formation. The military stated that these vessels were part of a convoy along established drug-trafficking routes and had engaged in transferring narcotics among themselves before the strikes. However, no concrete evidence was provided to support this claim.
During the initial strike, three individuals were reportedly killed on one boat, while occupants of the other two vessels jumped into the water and distanced themselves before being targeted. Southern Command promptly alerted the U.S. Coast Guard to initiate search and rescue operations, although it did not specify whether the jumpers were rescued.
The involvement of the Coast Guard is significant in light of previous controversies where U.S. forces were criticized for targeting survivors of an earlier attack in September. While some Democratic officials and legal experts condemned the military’s actions, the Trump administration and certain Republican lawmakers defended the legality of the subsequent strikes.
In a separate statement, Southern Command announced additional strikes on Wednesday, targeting two boats and resulting in the deaths of five individuals allegedly involved in drug smuggling along recognized trafficking routes. The military did not present evidence of the alleged illegal activities or disclose the precise locations of the assaults. Social media posts accompanying the statement featured videos showing a boat on the water and subsequent explosions.
These latest incidents bring the total number of boat strikes by the U.S. military to 35, with at least 115 individuals killed since early September, as reported by the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has justified these operations as necessary measures to curb drug trafficking into the United States, framing the engagements as part of an “armed conflict” against drug cartels.
In conjunction with the strikes, the Trump administration has bolstered military presence in the region as part of heightened pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who faces narco-terrorism charges in the U.S.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that the CIA conducted a drone strike targeting a suspected docking area used by Venezuelan drug cartels, marking the first direct operation on Venezuelan soil since the commencement of strikes in September. This operation signifies a significant escalation in the administration’s efforts to exert pressure on Maduro’s government.