The US military has bombed another alleged drug boat in the waters of Latin America as it continues its military buildup in the region and pushes toward a potential war with Venezuela.
According to US Southern Command, the strike targeted a vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and killed three “narco-terrorists,” a term the Trump administration uses to justify extra-judicial executions at sea for an alleged crime that doesn’t receive the death penalty in the United States. SOUTHCOM offered no evidence to back up its claim that the boat was carrying drugs.
Since early September, the US military has launched 21 such strikes, blowing up 22 boats, including 11 in the Caribbean and 11 in the Eastern Pacific. According to numbers released by the Trump administration, at least 82 people have been killed in the bombing campaign. The strikes are clearly illegal under US and international law, prompting close US allies to distance themselves from the campaign.
The aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford has recently arrived in the Caribbean amid reports that President Trump has been reviewing options to bomb Venezuela, though it remains unclear if he will start a war with the country. Much of the current US military buildup and leaks about potential US military action are part of a psychological campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, but the risk of war is still high as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other US officials seek regime change.
The latest strike came after US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced a new military campaign in the region, dubbed “Operation Southern Spear,” though it was unclear if the name just gives a label to the current bombing campaign or if it means there will be further US escalations.
The US military is also working to revive old bases in Puerto Rico and potentially Ecuador, depending on how Ecuadorians vote in a referendum on Sunday to lift a ban on foreign military bases. US troops have begun jungle warfare training in Panama for the first time in decades.
