The United States military has carried out another deadly attack on a vessel in waters off Venezuela, killing four people, according to official statements from US authorities.

The strike targeted a boat that Washington claimed was involved in drug trafficking activities in the eastern Pacific, at a time when tensions between the United States and Venezuela continue to escalate.

US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced that the vessel was hit during what it described as a counter-narcotics operation conducted in international waters. The command claimed the boat was operating on behalf of a group it designated as a “terrorist organization.”

In a statement, SOUTHCOM said the operation was conducted under the direct instructions of US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Footage of the attack was later shared on the command’s official social media accounts.

US officials stated that four people on board the vessel were killed in the strike, while no US military personnel were harmed.

International media outlets, including Reuters and the Associated Press, reported that the operation was part of a broader series of US military actions in the eastern Pacific, which Washington claims are aimed at disrupting drug trafficking networks. However, details regarding the identities of those killed and the precise nature of the vessel’s activities were not independently verified.

The attack comes amid heightened political and military tensions between Washington and Caracas, with Venezuela repeatedly accusing the United States of aggression, violations of sovereignty, and the use of security-related pretexts to justify military operations in the region.

Caracas has not yet issued an official response to the latest strike. (ILKHA)