Four Killed in Latest US Strike at Sea
The United States military has confirmed that four people were killed in its latest attack on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, as political and military tensions between Washington and Caracas continue to intensify.
The strike, announced on Wednesday by US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), targeted what the military described as a boat carrying “four male narco-terrorists”. US officials did not release evidence to substantiate claims that the vessel was involved in drug trafficking.
SOUTHCOM said the boat was travelling along a route it described as a “known narco-trafficking corridor” in the eastern Pacific and released video footage showing the vessel being destroyed during the operation.
Death Toll Nears 100 Since September
The attack forms part of an expanding US military campaign dubbed “Southern Spear”, which has seen repeated strikes on vessels in international waters across the eastern Pacific and Caribbean.
According to US acknowledgements, nearly 100 people have been killed since September in strikes on at least 26 vessels. The operations were ordered by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth under the administration of President Donald Trump.
Legal scholars and human rights experts have raised concerns that the campaign may amount to extrajudicial killings, arguing that lethal force is being used without transparent evidence or judicial oversight. The US government rejects those claims, saying the strikes are necessary to curb drug trafficking networks it alleges are linked to Venezuela.
Congress Rejects Limits on Military Action
The announcement of the latest strike came shortly after the US House of Representatives voted down efforts to restrict the president’s authority to conduct military operations linked to Venezuela.
In a narrow vote of 213 to 211, lawmakers rejected a resolution that would have required President Trump to withdraw US forces from hostilities with or against Venezuela unless Congress explicitly authorised such action.
A second resolution, which sought to limit military action against any “presidentially designated terrorist organisation in the Western Hemisphere” without congressional approval, was also defeated by a vote of 216 to 210.
The votes effectively cleared the way for the Trump administration to continue its military operations in the region.
Major US Military Deployment Under Way
The rejected resolutions come amid one of the largest US military deployments to Latin America in decades, involving thousands of troops, the deployment of Washington’s largest aircraft carrier, and a nuclear-powered submarine.
Trump has repeatedly threatened military action to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power, framing the campaign as both an anti-drug initiative and a response to what the US describes as regional security threats.
Naval Blockade of Venezuelan Oil
Earlier this week, Trump ordered a naval blockade targeting oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuelan ports that are subject to US sanctions. Caracas described the move as a “grotesque threat” designed to seize Venezuela’s natural resources.
Last week, US forces boarded and seized the Skipper oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast. Reports say the vessel was taken to Texas to offload its cargo.
According to The New York Times, Venezuela has responded by deploying naval escorts for oil tankers leaving its ports. Multiple ships reportedly departed Venezuela’s eastern coast under military escort following Trump’s blockade announcement.
Regional and International Alarm Grows
The growing risk of open conflict has prompted concern from Latin American leaders and the United Nations.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed alarm at the escalating situation, while Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged the UN to act to prevent violence.
“It must assume its role to prevent any bloodshed,” Sheinbaum said, reiterating Mexico’s long-standing opposition to foreign intervention in Venezuela.
Brazil Calls for Dialogue, Not Force
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also voiced concern over Washington’s approach, saying he was troubled by what he described as Trump’s “threats” toward Latin America.
Lula said he had urged dialogue during a recent phone call with Trump, emphasising diplomacy over military escalation.
“The power of the word can outweigh the power of the gun,” Lula said, adding that meaningful negotiations require patience and willingness from both sides.
Maduro Denounces ‘Colonial Threats’
In Caracas, President Nicolás Maduro reportedly held a phone call with Guterres, during which he condemned the US naval blockade and what his government described as an escalation of “colonial threats” against Venezuela.
State-run media quoted Maduro as denouncing what he called “barbaric diplomacy”, referencing comments by US officials suggesting Venezuela’s natural resources belong to the United States.
As US military operations continue and diplomatic efforts struggle to gain traction, observers warn that the situation risks spiralling into a wider regional confrontation.
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