U.S. Army Announces Strike on Ship in Eastern Pacific, Venezuela Requests Urgent U.N. Security Council Meeting

SadaNews - The U.S. military announced that it carried out a strike targeting a ship in the eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in the deaths of 4 individuals, at a time when the relationship between the United States and Venezuela is experiencing a noticeable escalation in tension.

The U.S. Southern Command stated in a post on X platform that intelligence information confirmed that the ship was sailing through a known route for drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific and was involved in smuggling operations.

It added that the deceased were "terrorist drug traffickers," asserting that none of the U.S. military personnel were harmed.

This strike comes as part of increasing pressures exerted by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on Venezuela for months, which included reinforcing naval military presence and carrying out lethal strikes against boats accused by Washington of using them for drug trafficking.

According to figures released by the Trump administration, the total number of announced strikes on boats has risen to 26 strikes, resulting in the deaths of at least 99 individuals.

In a related context, President Trump announced a "blockade" preventing sanctioned oil tankers from entering or leaving Venezuela, in a new step to escalate pressures on President Nicolás Maduro's government.

In response to this escalation, Caracas requested the United Nations Security Council to hold an urgent meeting to discuss what it described as "ongoing U.S. aggression," with a U.N. diplomat indicating that the meeting is likely to be held next Tuesday.

In a related development, the President of Colombia called for the reformation of the coexistence charter between the United States and Latin American countries based on respect for the sovereignty of the peoples, amid strained relations between Washington and Bogotá, especially after the Trump administration added Colombia in September to the list of non-cooperative countries in the war on drugs for the first time in nearly 30 years.

The United States also announced last Tuesday the inclusion of the "Clan del Golfo" gang, based in Colombia, on the list of foreign and global terrorist organizations, describing it as a "violent and powerful criminal organization" that funds its activities through cocaine trafficking. This group, with an estimated fighter count of around 9,000, is one of the most powerful armed groups in Colombia.