American Military Action Claims Lives of 4 during Alleged Drug Boat Incident near Venezuelan Shoreline
As stated by American defense chief the Pentagon's top official, American forces eliminated four individuals during a mission against a vessel suspected of transporting narcotics offshore near Venezuela.
This action occurred shortly after American authorities informed Congress that the country was entering an armed confrontation with narco-trafficking organizations.
This marks no fewer than the fourth such extraordinary and controversial attack by US forces beyond American waters in recent weeks.
Details of the Military Operation
The defense secretary stated that the boat was struck as it was transporting large quantities of illegal drugs destined for America, which he described as poisoning the people.
“Intelligence assessments definitively verified the vessel’s involvement in drug trafficking, identifying those aboard as narco-terrorists using established smuggling routes,” he declared via an online statement.
The defense secretary also claimed that the boat had links to Designated Terrorist Organizations, a classification applied in a confidential memo sent to lawmakers.
Legal and Political Context
The Trump administration has informed Congress regarding its view that drug trafficking organizations as “non-state armed groups” and their actions in narcotics trafficking “constitute an armed attack” against the United States.
This notification included a secret session with lawmakers of the Senate armed services committee, held earlier this week.
Administration officials have sought to legitimize the strikes under Trump’s Article II powers, which allow military action in self-defense in limited engagements.
Earlier Strikes and International Response
Before the latest incident, US forces carried out attacks against three vessels in Caribbean waters, which led to 17 deaths and sparking widespread international outrage.
Hegseth emphasized that these strikes “will continue” until “the attacks on the American people are over”.
Administrative Changes and Supervision
The Trump administration have allegedly strengthened a White House security body to function separately within the executive branch, a shift from previous administrations where it reported to the national security adviser.
This restructuring has influenced the coordination and execution of these military actions, as certain authorities being informed about strikes shortly prior to their execution.
Despite official claims, juridical specialists point out that designating cartels as terrorist entities does not grant additional authority for using deadly action absent concrete evidence connecting them with a foreign government.
To date, US officials has yet to offer such evidence concerning the alleged penetration by cartels into Venezuela's regime.
