According to the US side on January 23 (US time), intelligence data confirmed that the ship was moving along routes believed to serve drug trafficking activities in the eastern Pacific region and was participating in related activities. The statement stated that the two fatalities were described as "drug terrorists", and US forces are searching for a survivor. The accompanying video shows the ship moving at sea before exploding and bursting fiercely. The information was released by the South American Command in an official statement.
This attack is the first strike to be announced since US President Donald Trump ordered the US military to launch an operation to arrest Mr. Nicolas Maduro recently. Since the beginning of September 2025, the US military has carried out more than 30 attacks on ships accused of being involved in drug trafficking in the waters off South America. According to data from the Trump administration, these attacks have killed more than 100 people.
In addition to activities targeting drug ships, the US military has recently focused on controlling and seizing sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela. This move comes after the surprise campaign to arrest Mr. Nicolas Maduro and take him to New York to face allegations related to drug trafficking. Last week, US forces in the Caribbean Sea seized an oil tanker that Mr. Trump said was related to Venezuela.
The Trump administration has also promoted global control over the distribution of Venezuelan oil products. After Maduro was overthrown, Trump announced an agreement with Venezuelan interim leaders that the US could receive up to 50 million barrels of crude oil. Trump also signed an executive order to "protect" Venezuelan oil revenues in US-controlled accounts.
Previously, at the end of December, the US military said it had attacked five ships accused of drug trafficking in two days, killing eight people, while others jumped into the sea. After that, the US Coast Guard suspended search operations.
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