The U.S. military announced on Wednesday that it had targeted five alleged drug-smuggling boats over a two-day period, resulting in the deaths of eight individuals while others managed to escape by jumping overboard. The specific locations of the attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday were not disclosed by the U.S. Southern Command, which has jurisdiction over South America. Previous operations have been conducted in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean.
A video released by the Southern Command on social media depicted three boats moving in a close formation, a behavior considered unusual by the military. They stated that the boats were part of a convoy traveling along established narco-trafficking routes and had engaged in transferring narcotics between them before the strikes occurred. However, no concrete evidence was provided to support this claim.
During the initial attack, three individuals lost their lives when the first boat was hit, while occupants of the other two boats chose to jump overboard and distance themselves from the vessels prior to being targeted. The Southern Command promptly alerted the U.S. Coast Guard to initiate search and rescue operations, although it was not specified whether the individuals who leaped from the boats were successfully rescued.
The involvement of the Coast Guard in these operations is noteworthy due to previous criticism faced by the U.S. military for a strike in early September that resulted in the killing of survivors from an initial attack on their disabled boat. This incident prompted concerns from Democratic lawmakers and legal experts who questioned the legality of the follow-up strike, while the Trump administration and some Republican lawmakers defended its legality.
In a separate statement, the Southern Command reported that U.S. forces had conducted further strikes on Wednesday, targeting two additional boats allegedly involved in drug smuggling along recognized trafficking routes. The statement did not offer proof of the alleged trafficking activities or disclose the specific bodies of water where the attacks took place. Videos accompanying the statement on social media depicted a boat in the water and ensuing explosions.
These recent events bring the total count of boat strikes by the U.S. military to 35, resulting in the deaths of at least 115 individuals since early September, as per figures released by the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has justified these actions as necessary measures to combat drug trafficking into the United States, asserting that the country is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels.
In addition to the strikes, the Trump administration has bolstered its military presence in the region as part of an escalating campaign aimed at increasing pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who faces narco-terrorism charges in the U.S.
Simultaneously, reports indicate that the CIA conducted a drone strike last week at a docking area suspected of being utilized by Venezuelan drug cartels. This operation marked the first direct action on Venezuelan soil since the commencement of strikes in September, representing a significant escalation in the administration’s efforts to pressurize Maduro’s government.