US attack in the Pacific Ocean, 4 killed

Two state-of-the-art US warplanes.

Four people were killed in a new US attack in the Pacific Ocean. The US military claims that they have seriously damaged a ship in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The US carried out the attack as tensions over Venezuela escalated.

According to a report by Qatar-based media outlet Al Jazeera on Thursday (December 18), according to Washington's claim, about 100 people have been killed in US attacks on 26 ships in the eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea since September.

The military operation, called 'Southern Spear', was conducted by the US Southern Command (Southcom). In a message on Wednesday, they said that the recent attack was carried out targeting "four drug-trafficking terrorists". However, they did not provide any evidence that the destroyed ship was linked to drug trafficking.

Southcom also posted a video on social media showing a speedboat being destroyed in the Pacific Ocean. It said the vessel was operating on a known drug trafficking route in the eastern Pacific and was involved in drug trafficking activities.

The death toll in recent strikes ordered by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reached nearly 100. Many experts have described the strikes on international waterways as extrajudicial killings. However, President Donald Trump has claimed that the strikes are necessary to stop drug trafficking, particularly to take action against Venezuelan-based cartels.

Meanwhile, two bills introduced by Trump to limit military action in Venezuela were defeated in the US House of Representatives on Wednesday.

The first bill called for an end to military action against Venezuela without congressional approval. However, it was defeated by a vote of 213-211 in the Republican-majority House of Representatives. The second proposal also sought to prohibit military action against any terrorist organization in the Western Hemisphere without congressional approval. This proposal was also defeated by a vote of 216-210.

Meanwhile, the United States has begun a massive military deployment to Latin America. Thousands of troops have been deployed. Washington's largest aircraft carrier and a nuclear submarine are also in the fleet. In addition to increasing the military presence, Trump has publicly threatened military action to remove Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

In addition, on Tuesday, the US president ordered a naval blockade of all oil tankers from Venezuelan ports. He ordered that all these oil tankers under US sanctions be stopped when they enter or leave Venezuela. The Venezuelan government called it a "sick threat" and said that Washington's aim is to steal the country's resources.

Last week, US troops also seized an oil tanker named Skipper off the coast of Venezuela. It is believed to have been taken to the US state of Texas and its oil was unloaded there.

The New York Times reported that the Venezuelan navy has been protecting oil tankers since Trump announced the blockade. Several oil tankers left Venezuela's eastern coast under naval escort on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

Amid heightened tensions, Latin American leaders and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have expressed fears of conflict. Maduro has already appealed to neighboring Colombia for military unity.