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Operation In International Waters Leaves Dead, Triggers Search For Survivors And Reignites Debate On The Legality Of US Military Actions In The Region
The United States intensified its offensive against drug trafficking in the Caribbean by attacking, on Tuesday (30), three vessels that were traveling in convoy and raised suspicions of drug transport. The action resulted in the deaths of three people, according to official information from the American Armed Forces.
The information was released by the United States Southern Command and echoed by international agencies such as Reuters. According to the statement, the boats were sailing in international waters at the time of the interception. Shortly after the first confrontation, eight occupants abandoned the vessels and jumped into the sea.
In light of this, the US Coast Guard initiated a search operation to locate possible survivors. Authorities have maintained teams and aerial resources in the area since then.
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Attack Kills Three And Triggers Search For Survivors
In an official statement, Southern Command stated that three narco-terrorists died in the initial confrontation aboard the first vessel. Subsequently, the crew of the other two vessels abandoned the boats before further attacks, which ultimately sank them.
Following this, American authorities mobilized the Coast Guard, which sent a C-130 aircraft to reinforce the search efforts. In parallel, vessels patrolling the area began to operate in a coordinated manner to expand the search radius.
An anonymous US official confirmed that eight people initially managed to escape. However, as of now, teams have not located any survivors, according to the latest updates.
Military Campaign Adds Up To More Than 30 Attacks Since September
The attack is part of a broader offensive conducted by the administration of President Donald Trump. Since September, the United States has carried out more than 30 attacks against vessels suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean.
According to official data, this campaign has already killed at least 110 people. Nonetheless, previous episodes recorded survivors. In October, two individuals were repatriated after surviving an American military operation. At the end of the same month, Mexican authorities initiated a search for another survivor but did not find him.
After an attack in September, the US Armed Forces attacked again a suspicious vessel that still had two survivors on board. Since then, the strategy has focused on the vessels, without directly targeting the survivors.
Legality Of Actions And Pressure On Venezuela Widen Criticism
The Trump administration claims that the campaign aims to interrupt the supply of illegal drugs. However, legal experts and Democratic lawmakers question the legality of the actions, especially since they take place in international waters.
Moreover, the military incursions coincide with a pressure campaign against the regime of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela and a significant increase in American military presence in the region.
Last Monday, Trump declared that the US “attacked” an area in Venezuela used for drug loading. However, authorities clarified that the Armed Forces did not conduct direct ground operations in the country. In previous statements, Trump had already authorized the CIA to carry out covert operations in Venezuela, further escalating diplomatic tensions.
