US Forces Strike Drug-Trafficking Vessel in Pacific, Four Killed
US forces killed four "narco-terrorists" in the Pacific, raising the death toll to 99 in an expanded campaign against narco-trafficking, while President Trump enforced a complete blockade on Venezuelan oil.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - US forces carried out a strike on a vessel engaged in drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, killing four individuals described as “narco-terrorists,” according to the US Southern Command.
In a statement posted on X, the US Southern Command said the US military “conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization” involved in “narco-trafficking operations” in the eastern Pacific.
The command said four male narco-terrorists were killed in the operation, adding that no US military personnel were injured.
The latest strike brings the total number of deaths to 99 since the United States began targeting alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean in September, as part of an expanded military campaign to stop drug trafficking.
US officials have framed the maritime operations as part of an effort to combat drug trafficking, while the Venezuelan government has accused Washington of using anti-narcotics operations as a pretext for regime change.
Venezuela reacted defiantly on Wednesday to Trump’s announcement of a potentially crippling oil blockade, insisting that its crude exports remain unaffected. State oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) said export operations for crude oil and byproducts were continuing normally and that oil tankers linked to PDVSA were sailing with full security.
President Trump declared on Tuesday what he called “a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into, and out of, Venezuela,” describing a heavy US military presence in the Caribbean, including the deployment of the world’s largest aircraft carrier.
On Wednesday, Trump reiterated that US forces would not allow unauthorized vessels to pass and accused Venezuela of taking “all of our oil,” apparently referring to the nationalization of the country’s oil industry.
The escalating US campaign has heightened regional tensions. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro held telephone talks with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to discuss what he described as the “escalation of threats” from Washington and their implications for regional peace. Guterres urged both sides to exercise restraint and de-escalate.
Analysts have warned that the blockade could severely damage Venezuela’s already fragile economy in the short term, though its longer-term impact will depend on how tensions with Washington evolve and the ultimate objectives of the US administration.
As US forces continue strikes against drug-trafficking vessels and tighten maritime controls in the Caribbean and Pacific, the latest operation underscores how Washington’s anti-narcotics campaign is unfolding alongside a broader strategy of economic pressure on Venezuela, raising concerns over further escalation in the region.