Southern Command says two people were killed in the operation, the first publicly acknowledged boat strike since U.S. actions earlier this month involving Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The U.S. military said Friday that it carried out a deadly strike on a vessel accused of drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific Ocean, marking the first publicly known attack of its kind since U.S. operations earlier this month that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, according to U.S. statements.
U.S. Southern Command said on social media that the targeted boat was “engaged in narco-trafficking operations” and that the strike killed two people, leaving one survivor. The command said it notified the U.S. Coast Guard, which initiated search-and-rescue operations for the surviving individual.
Video released alongside the announcement showed a small vessel moving through open water before erupting into flames following the strike.
The reported operation follows a period of intensified U.S. military activity linked to Venezuela. According to U.S. statements, the military has recently focused on interdicting sanctioned oil tankers with alleged ties to Venezuela after what U.S. officials described as a raid earlier this month that resulted in the capture of Maduro and his wife, who were flown to New York to face federal drug trafficking charges.
The U.S. military last acknowledged similar boat strikes in late December, when it said five alleged drug-smuggling vessels were hit over a two-day period. Those operations reportedly killed eight people, while others jumped overboard. The Coast Guard later suspended its search for survivors.
According to U.S. accounts, a “large-scale strike” was conducted in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, on Jan. 3, which U.S. officials said led to the capture of Maduro. Prior to his capture, Maduro said U.S. military operations were a thinly veiled attempt to remove him from power.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly said U.S. strikes targeting alleged smugglers are significantly disrupting drug trafficking routes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. “We’ve stopped — virtually stopped almost 100% of all drugs coming in by water,” Trump said Wednesday during remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
U.S. officials said the latest strike underscores ongoing military efforts to interdict drug trafficking by sea, particularly in regions U.S. authorities describe as key transit corridors for narcotics bound for the United States.
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