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Three latest attacks successful the eastbound Pacific Ocean travel arsenic the US increases subject beingness successful Trinidad and Tobago, adjacent Venezuela.
Published On 16 Dec 2025
The United States has said it killed 8 radical successful caller attacks connected vessels successful the eastbound Pacific Ocean, days aft the US subject seized a Venezuelan lipid tanker amid Washington’s continuing subject buildup successful Latin America.
In a station connected societal media, the US Military Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said that “lethal kinetic strikes” targeted 3 vessels successful planetary waters connected Monday, astatine the absorption of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
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Eight radical were killed successful total, SOUTHCOM said successful a statement.
“Three successful the archetypal vessel, 2 successful the 2nd and 3 successful the third,” it said, portion claiming without providing immoderate grounds that those killed were linked to cause trafficking.
At slightest 90 radical person been killed successful akin US attacks connected dozens of vessels successful the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea adjacent Venezuela since September, successful what planetary instrumentality experts person criticised arsenic extrajudicial killings by the US military.
On Dec. 15, astatine the absorption of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted lethal kinetic strikes connected 3 vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations successful planetary waters. Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting on known… pic.twitter.com/IQfCVvUpau
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) December 16, 2025
US lawmakers person questioned Hegseth implicit his relation successful the attacks, including whether helium personally ordered a 2nd strike connected a vessel targeting 2 radical who had survived a archetypal onslaught and were near clinging to the debris successful September.
The Pentagon has besides deployed warships, a submarine, drones and combatant jets to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, successful what it claims are efforts to tackle cause smuggling successful the region.
Venezuela said the attacks and US subject buildup were aimed astatine allowing “external powers to rob Venezuela’s immeasurable oil and state wealth“, adjacent earlier US forces seized an oil tanker disconnected the seashore of Venezuela past week, with US President Donald Trump telling reporters, “I presume we’re going to support the oil.”
US subject to usage Trinidad airports, connected Venezuela’s doorstep
The latest attacks connected vessels successful Latin American waters travel arsenic the US continues to physique up its sizeable subject beingness successful the portion surrounding Venezuela, with Trinidad and Tobago saying connected Monday that it had authorised US subject craft to usage its airports.
Trinidad and Tobago said it had fixed the greenish airy for the US subject to usage its airports “in the coming weeks”, adding that Washington would usage them for “logistical” operations, including “facilitating proviso replenishment and regular unit rotations”.
The Caribbean land nation, which is located lone 12km (7.4 miles) from Venezuela astatine its closest point, has been supportive of the US subject buildup successful the region, successful opposition to immoderate different Central and South American leaders.
Trinidad and Tobago’s premier minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, has said she would alternatively spot cause traffickers “blown to pieces” than person them termination citizens of her nation.
In response, Venezuelan person Nicolas Maduro again said that his state would stop supplying state to Trinidad and Tobago connected Monday, according to the Venezuelan authorities tv transmission Telesur.
English (US) ·