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Four radical were killed successful a U.S. subject onslaught Wednesday connected an alleged drug-running vessel successful the Eastern Pacific, the Pentagon said. It marks the latest successful a series of strikes dating backmost to aboriginal September that the U.S. has conducted connected what it claims are drug-trafficking vessels successful the region.
In a social media post, U.S. Southern Command, which oversees U.S. subject operations successful Central and South America, said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the "lethal kinetic onslaught connected a vas operated by a Designated Terrorist Organizations successful planetary waters."
As has been the lawsuit with erstwhile specified strikes, Southern Command besides posted unclassified video showing the vessel arsenic it was struck.
"Intelligence confirmed that the vas was transiting on a known narco-trafficking way successful the Eastern Pacific and was engaged successful narco-trafficking operations," Southern Command said.
The victims were described arsenic "four antheral narco-terrorists." The U.S. subject provided nary grounds to enactment allegations that the vessel was ferrying drugs.
The U.S. subject has conducted 26 strikes connected alleged drug-trafficking vessels successful the Eastern Pacific oregon Caribbean since Sept. 2, sidesplitting astatine slightest 99 people, according to the Pentagon.
In caller weeks, determination has been renewed scrutiny connected the strikes aft the White House, pursuing a study by The Washington Post, confirmed that successful the Sept. 2 attack, the aforesaid vessel was struck twice, oregon what has been described arsenic a "double tap" oregon follow-on strike.
Two sources told CBS News that the follow-on onslaught killed 2 radical who had survived the archetypal onslaught and were waving overhead. A abstracted root acquainted with the substance told CBS News that the 2 survivors were attempting to ascent backmost onto the boat.
A full of 11 radical were killed by some strikes connected Sept. 2, according to the U.S. military.
While video of the Sept. 2 strikes has been shown to immoderate legislature lawmakers successful classified briefings, determination has been a propulsion for the Pentagon to merchandise the video publicly. However, Hegseth, speaking Tuesday connected Capitol Hill, said helium would not bash so.
"Of people we're not going to merchandise a top-secret, full, unedited video of that to the wide public," Hegseth told reporters.
Some lawmakers and ineligible experts person contended that the 2nd onslaught could represent a warfare crime.
The vas strikes person been portion of a unit run by the Trump medication connected embattled Venezuelan person Nicolás Maduro, whom it accuses of being progressive successful trafficking drugs to the U.S. and collaborating with cause cartels. Venezuela has criticized the vessel strikes, and Maduro denies moving with cause cartels. The Venezuelan authorities has accused the Trump medication of seeking authorities change.
The U.S. has significantly ramped up its subject beingness successful the Caribbean and adjacent Latin America, and President Trump has said helium volition not regularisation retired either sending troops to Venezuela oregon conducting onshore strikes there.
The U.S. subject seized a sanctioned lipid tanker adjacent Venezuela past week. And connected Tuesday, Mr. Trump announced he had ordered a "total and implicit blockade" connected each sanctioned lipid tankers entering oregon departing Venezuela.
On Wednesday, an effort by House Democrats to unit votes connected 2 warfare powers resolutions that would bounds the president's authorization to onslaught Venezuela oregon proceed conducting strikes connected alleged drug-running boats failed.
Caitlin Yilek, Eleanor Watson and Joe Walsh contributed to this report.
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