The US military's 20th strike on a boat accused of transporting drugs has killed four people in the Caribbean Sea, a Pentagon official said, coming as the Trump administration escalates its campaign in South American waters.
The latest strike happened Tuesday, according to the official, who wasn’t authorised to discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity. It brings the death toll from the strikes that began in September to 80, with the Mexican Navy suspending its search for a survivor of a strike in late October after four days.
The attack, which occurred the same day that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced two strikes had been carried out on Monday, comes as the Trump administration expands the US military's already large presence in the region by bringing in the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier. The nation's most advanced warship is expected to arrive in the coming days after travelling from the Mediterranean Sea.
Hegseth, on Wednesday, formally named the mission Operation Southern Spear, emphasising the growing significance and permanence of the military’s presence in the region. Once the Ford arrives, the mission will encompass nearly a dozen Navy ships as well about 12,000 sailors and Marines.
The Trump administration has insisted that the buildup of warships is focused on stopping the flow of drugs into the US, but it has released no evidence to support its assertions that those killed in the boats were “narcoterrorists”. The strikes have targeted vessels largely in the Caribbean Sea but also have taken place in the eastern Pacific Ocean, where much of the cocaine from the world’s largest producers is smuggled.
Maduro has said the US Government is “fabricating” a war against him. Venezuela’s government this week touted a “massive” mobilisation of troops and civilians to defend against possible US attacks.
MNA/
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