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WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. army stated Friday that it has carried out a lethal strike on a vessel accused of trafficking medicine within the japanese Pacific Ocean, the primary identified assault for the reason that raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.
U.S. Southern Command stated on social media that the boat was “engaged in narco-trafficking operations” and that the strike killed two folks and left one survivor. It stated it notified the Coast Guard to launch search and rescue operations for that particular person.
A video accompanying the put up asserting the most recent strike reveals a ship shifting by way of the water earlier than exploding in flames. The U.S. army has targeted recently on seizing sanctioned oil tankers with connections to Venezuela for the reason that Trump administration launched an audacious raid to seize Maduro and convey him to New York to face drug trafficking costs.
The final boat strikes occurred in late December, when the army stated it struck 5 alleged drug-smuggling boats over two days, killing a complete of eight folks whereas others jumped overboard. Days later, the Coast Guard suspended its search.
The U.S. carried out a “large-scale strike” in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, on Jan. 3 that led to the seize of Maduro and his spouse, who had been then flown to New York to face federal drug trafficking costs.
Maduro, earlier than his seize, stated the U.S. army operations had been a thinly veiled effort to oust him from energy.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that the U.S. strikes focusing on alleged smugglers are having an unlimited affect on slowing drug trafficking routes within the Caribbean and japanese Pacific.
“We’ve stopped — nearly stopped nearly 100% of all medicine coming in by water,” Trump stated in remarks on Wednesday on the World Financial Discussion board at Davos.
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