US Strike in Pacific and Venezuela Oil Blockade Heighten Regional Tensions

US Strike in Pacific and Venezuela Oil Blockade Heighten Regional Tensions
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The United States military has carried out a deadly strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific that it said was involved in drug trafficking, as Washington intensified pressure on Venezuela through new economic and military measures, according to a report by The Guardian.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the “lethal kinetic strike” killed four people aboard a boat allegedly engaged in narcotics smuggling. The operation brings the reported death toll to 99 since the United States began targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Pacific last September.

The announcement followed President Donald Trump’s declaration that his administration had imposed a blockade on sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela. Trump accused Caracas of using oil revenues to finance drug trafficking and other criminal activities, while warning of further escalation.

Venezuela rejected the accusations, with state oil company PDVSA saying exports were continuing normally and that oil tankers linked to its operations were sailing securely. President Nicolás Maduro denounced what he described as mounting threats from Washington and raised concerns in talks with UN Secretary-General António Guterres about the implications for regional stability.

China, Venezuela’s largest oil buyer, criticized what it called unilateral pressure and expressed support for Venezuelan sovereignty. In Washington, House Republicans blocked Democratic efforts to require congressional authorization for further military action, while critics argued US actions were driven by disputes over Venezuelan oil rather than counter-narcotics objectives.