US says two people killed in military strike on boat in Pacific

US Military Conducts Deadly Strike on Boat in Pacific, Killing Two Suspected Drug Smugglers

In a latest operation authorized by US Southern Command, a military strike was carried out in the eastern Pacific, resulting in the deaths of two individuals suspected of drug smuggling. The attack occurred on a boat that was "transiting along known narco-trafficking routes" and was confirmed to have been targeted at the direction of new commander Gen Francis L Donovan.

The incident brings the total death toll from 38 strikes carried out by the US military since legal experts began tracking extrajudicial killings, which has resulted in at least 130 fatalities. The Pentagon released a video showing the attack and stated that a search was launched for a lone survivor, which remains unaccounted for.

The operation is part of an ongoing effort by the US to disrupt illicit smuggling networks in the region. This comes as President Trump's administration continues its efforts to squeeze Venezuela through sanctions on its oil supply chain. In January, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro was apprehended by the US military, and several tankers have fled from the country since then.

On Monday, defense secretary Pete Hegseth vowed that all sanctioned vessels would be caught, stating "the only guidance I gave to my military commanders is none of those are getting away." Hegseth also emphasized that the US would follow the ship at any cost.

The Aquila II tanker, which was boarded by the US military in the Indian Ocean as part of an oil quarantine, remains under US control. Ship tracking data shows the ship has spent much of the last year with its radio transponder turned off, a common practice used by smugglers to evade detection.

This incident highlights the ongoing tensions between the US and Venezuela over oil smuggling. The Pentagon's actions have raised concerns about accountability and transparency in military operations carried out under the guise of counter-narcotics efforts.

Ugh, it's like we're living in a bad action movie out there . Two people dead, but what about all the other folks caught up in this mess? It's always the same - "we're just trying to disrupt smuggling networks" , but really we're just playing with fire and putting lives at risk. And that Pentagon video is straight out of a Bond film . I mean, who needs accountability when you can just slap on a fancy new commander (Gen Francis L Donovan) and call it a day? The US military's got its hands deep in the oil supply chain, but where's the transparency, man? We're all just trying to navigate this crazy world and the least we deserve is some real answers. And what about that Aquila II tanker? It's like it was chosen for a reason... or maybe it's just a pawn in a bigger game .

It's just so sad when innocent lives get caught up in these military operations . Two people, suspected of drug smuggling, lost their lives in a strike that was supposed to be aimed at disrupting illicit networks... but what about the risks for those who aren't involved? The Pentagon releasing a video of the attack and saying they're searching for a survivor is all good and well, but it doesn't fill me with confidence . And let's not forget about the Aquila II tanker, just boarded by the US military as part of an oil quarantine... what exactly are they doing with that ship? It seems like there's so much room for error here. The Pentagon needs to do a better job of explaining their actions and holding themselves accountable .

I'm literally shocked that these two guys got taken out by a drone strike! Like, I get it, they were suspected of smuggling, but two lives lost? That's just crazy, right? And what's with this "transiting along known narco-trafficking routes" thing? Are we really that desperate to catch people in the act or is it just a fancy way of saying "we want to look good"? Also, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the whole Aquila II tanker situation... if they're not reporting their location, how do we know what's going on? And yeah, this whole thing does stink of accountability issues... like, who gets to decide who lives or dies in these ops?

I mean, what's up with these military ops? One minute it's about stopping narco-trafficking, next it's just a straight-up kill fest . And who gets to decide on this? Some faceless generals and politicians . Can't they just talk it out instead of resorting to violence? It's like they're trying to solve global problems with guns and drones .

And the fact that the Pentagon is sharing all these vids online... what's their endgame here? Are they gonna make a whole YouTube series out of this? . And the sanctions on Venezuela, wow, how original . Just another excuse for the US to flex its muscles and get away with whatever it wants .

And have you seen the Aquila II tanker's ship tracking data? Like, what kind of operation is this? Boarding a ship in the Indian Ocean, leaving it's radio transponder off... sounds like some high-stakes heist to me . The Pentagon's got some serious questions to answer about accountability and transparency here .

Man... this is like, what's the real cost of war here? Two lives lost, but for what? So we can keep our oil flowing and our economy propped up? It's crazy to think that just because of a few bad apples in the trade, we're willing to escalate like this. And now we got this whole thing with Venezuela too... it's all just so... complicated

I mean, is it really about smuggling or is it about control? Are we trying to keep people from getting ahead by any means necessary? It's like, what's the end game here? The video shows the attack, but where are the survivors? Who's watching our watchdogs? This whole thing just feels so... dirty

So, yeah, I got some tea on this one... like, how is it that these suspected smugglers are always popping up? Can't they just stay under the radar for once? It's all about the money, you know? The US military is basically doing Venezuela's dirty work for them. I mean, what's the real motive here? Is it really just about taking down smuggling operations or is there more to it than that?

And don't even get me started on those sanctions... Like, how many innocent lives are gonna be affected by this? It's all just a big game of cat and mouse with Venezuela, but what about the people caught in the middle? The ones who aren't even involved in smuggling but are getting hurt because of it?

I'm low-key worried about that Aquila II tanker too... like, what if they're being used as human shields or something? The US military is always talking about following orders, but what happens when those orders start to get murky? I guess only time will tell.

The more you dig into this story, the more it seems like a classic case of 'out of sight, out of mind'. We're so caught up in the grand scheme of geopolitics that we forget about the human cost of our actions . Two lives lost in the name of 'disrupting illicit smuggling networks' - is that really worth it? The Pentagon's response to the situation seems to be a classic example of 'the ends justify the means', but at what expense? And what's with the radio transponder turned off on that Aquila II tanker? It's like they're trying to cover their tracks, isn't it? Anyway, I think this incident is a reminder that we need to ask ourselves if our actions are truly serving the greater good .

this is so messed up two people die and now we got this video showing it all like we're living in some kinda game the US just gonna keep hitting these boats till they get what they want? it's not even about justice anymore, it's about who can get away with it they say they wanna disrupt smuggling networks but it feels like they just making stuff up as they go along and now we got this Aquila II tanker just floating around without a transponder on... what's the point of all these sanctions if you're just gonna let them sail free?