U.S. Military Strikes Five Alleged Smuggling Boats; Eight Dead in Continued Anti-Drug Operations

U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) confirmed on Wednesday that it carried out a series of strikes against five vessels suspected of drug trafficking over a 48-hour period. The operations, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, resulted in at least eight fatalities.

Aerial footage released by the military showed three boats traveling in a rare convoy formation. Officials allege the vessels were observed transferring narcotics before being targeted.

Three people were killed in the initial strike, while others jumped overboard from the remaining two vessels before they were also destroyed. Wednesday Operation in two additional boats were struck along suspected trafficking routes, resulting in five more deaths.

The locations of these latest strikes were not disclosed, though previous operations have targeted the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. These actions bring the total to 35 strikes and at least 115 deaths since September.

The Trump administration justifies these measures as part of an "armed conflict" against cartels and a pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Notably, SOUTHCOM activated the U.S. Coast Guard for search and rescue following the strikes. This follows intense legal and political scrutiny regarding a September incident where survivors of an initial strike were reportedly killed in a follow-up attack.

Reports also emerged that the CIA conducted a drone strike last week at a docking area on Venezuelan soil.1 This represents a significant escalation, marking the first known direct U.S. kinetic operation within Venezuela during this current campaign.