US military forces carried out a strike against a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people, according to authorities from the US Southern Command.
According to the official statement, intelligence confirmed that the vessel was operating along known drug-trafficking routes and was involved in trafficking operations, which led to it being targeted by US military forces. Authorities described those killed as “narco-terrorists,” The Guardian reports, as cited by Sinjali.
This marked the first known US strike since President Donald Trump issued an order earlier this month for the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, following a major operation that led to the arrest of Maduro and his wife in Venezuela and their transfer to New York to face federal justice.
In a video released alongside the announcement, a vessel can be seen moving through the water before bursting into flames. Searches for possible survivors are still ongoing.
US forces have carried out dozens of similar strikes against vessels suspected of involvement in drug trafficking as part of an expanded campaign against maritime narcotics smuggling near South America since last September, according to official statements.
