American armed forces say they launched attacks on three boats in the Pacific Ocean that they allege were being used for drug smuggling, resulting in the deaths of eight people.
According to the military, video evidence of the operations was shared online, with officials stating that the boats were “transiting along known narco-trafficking routes… and were engaged in narco-trafficking”.
These incidents are part of a broader series of maritime strikes carried out across the Pacific and Caribbean in recent months. More than 20 vessels have been hit, and at least 90 people have been killed as President Donald Trump intensifies efforts against groups he claims are moving narcotics through the region.
Critics and analysts have warned that such actions may breach international rules that regulate the conduct of armed conflict.
Particular attention has focused on the first US operation on 2 September, during which two separate strikes were carried out, with those who survived the initial attack later killed in a second one.
Multiple legal specialists have argued that this follow-up strike on a boat alleged to be linked to Venezuela was likely unlawful and could be classified under international law as an extrajudicial killing.
Earlier, a former international war crimes prosecutor said the broader military effort amounted to a deliberate and organised assault on civilians outside a wartime context.
The White House rejected those claims, insisting the actions complied with the laws of armed conflict and were necessary to defend the country from cartels “trying to bring poison to our shores… destroying American lives”.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to brief lawmakers from both chambers of Congress on Tuesday, alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Officials familiar with the plans said members of the House and Senate armed services committees are due to be shown footage of the disputed “double-tap” operation later this week, amid growing calls for the video to be released publicly.
At the same time, the administration has stepped up accusations that Venezuela is helping channel illegal drugs into the United States, increasing diplomatic and economic pressure on President Nicolás Maduro.
Two Venezuelan criminal networks, Tren de Aragua and Cartel de los Soles, have been formally labelled foreign terrorist organisations.
In support of this posture, thousands of US troops and the USS Gerald Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, have been deployed within operational range of Venezuela.
On 10 December, American forces also intercepted an oil tanker near the Venezuelan coastline, alleging it was part of an “illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organisations” by moving sanctioned crude from Venezuela and Iran.
Venezuela’s foreign minister, Yván Gil, condemned the action as “international piracy” and accused Trump of seeking control over the country’s extensive oil wealth.
As part of the administration’s broader strategy to curb drug inflows, Trump has formally classified fentanyl — the substance most closely linked to fatal overdoses in the US — as a “weapon of mass destruction”.
Discover more from LN247
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
