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.
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.
. 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 
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. 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 
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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? 
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? 
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 
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. And the sanctions on Venezuela, wow, how original 
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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 
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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.
this is so messed up 
they say they wanna disrupt smuggling networks but it feels like they just making stuff up as they go along