Politics
JUST IN: Pentagon Announces 22nd Strike On Drug-Trafficking Vessels
The Pentagon on Thursday night shared video footage of what was the 22nd strike on drug-trafficking vessels operating off the coast pf Venezuela since September. The latest strike comes as Democrat lawmakers have repeatedly accused the Trump Administration of “war crimes” over the strikes.
Prior to Thursday’s strike, U.S. forces had carried out 21 maritime strikes in the Caribbean, resulting in 83 confirmed deaths according to Pentagon figures and independent tracking. The operations have relied primarily on MQ-9 drones and naval assets to destroy high-speed vessels departing Venezuelan waters.
Thursday’s strike targeted a drug boat operating in the Eastern Pacific, the Pentagon announced in a press release.
“On Dec. 4, at the direction of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel in international waters operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization,” the Pentagon announced. “Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was carrying illicit narcotics and transiting along a known narco-trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific. Four male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed.”
The release was accompanied by footage of the latest aerial strike.
The latest strikes come after elected Democrats have accused War Secretary Pete Hegseth and active duty servicemembers of committing “war crimes” over a September 2 strike in which a follow-up strike was ordered after an initial missile struck the vessel. Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley, who currently serves as the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), briefed lawmakers Thursday that the “double tap” was ordered by himself.
He added that the drug traffickers targeted were still in communication with fellow traffickers and were attempting to salvage narcotics at the time of the strike. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) said following the briefing that actions taken by the traffickers indicated that they were still in the fight, adding that the strike was valid due to “fog of war.”
Democrats, such as Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), called it one of the most “disturbing” events of his career in Washington. Himes painted a sympathetic view of the shipwrecked drug traffickers and called for the public release of the footage, something President Trump has endorsed.
“Double tap” strikes — which Democrats are now accusing the Trump Administration of “war crimes” for using — have been used under Democrat presidents in the past, including Barack Obama.
Just three days into his presidency, Obama authorized two drone strikes in Waziristan, Pakistan. Three hours apart, the strikes were the first of his administration and an early instance of double-tap tactics. At least 20 civilians were killed in the strikes.
In January 2012, a strike in the Shawal Valley targeted Taliban commander Sadiq Noor, followed by a second attack that killed up to 14 people, including potential first responders. Democrats did not call for Obama to be investigated for “war crimes” at the time.
