The U.S. military announced on Friday that it conducted a lethal strike on a vessel involved in drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. This operation marked the first known attack following the recent raid that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. According to U.S. Southern Command, the targeted boat was engaged in narco-trafficking activities, resulting in the deaths of two individuals and one survivor. The military promptly informed the U.S. Coast Guard to initiate search and rescue efforts for the survivor.
A video shared online depicts the boat moving through the water before erupting in flames. Recent military actions have primarily centered on confiscating sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela since the Trump administration’s bold attempt to apprehend Maduro and bring him to New York to face drug trafficking charges.
To date, there have been 36 documented strikes against suspected drug smuggling vessels in South American waters since early September, resulting in the deaths of at least 117 individuals, as reported by the U.S. military and President Trump. Most of these strikes occurred in the Caribbean Sea. The most recent boat strikes occurred in late December, with five alleged drug-smuggling boats targeted over two days, resulting in the deaths of eight individuals, while some individuals leaped overboard. Subsequently, the Coast Guard halted its search efforts.
On January 3, a significant strike was carried out in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, leading to the capture of Maduro and his spouse, who were later transported to New York to face federal drug trafficking charges. Prior to his capture, Maduro accused the U.S. military operations of being a disguised attempt to remove him from power.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly emphasized the substantial impact of U.S. strikes on alleged smugglers in disrupting drug trafficking routes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific regions. Trump stated during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that these efforts have almost entirely halted drug trafficking by sea.