US military says attack on suspected drug trafficking vessel killed eight

The U.S. military says it has carried out attacks on three ships accused of drug trafficking in the Pacific, leaving eight people dead.

U.S. Southern Command posted video of the attack on social media and said the ships were “transiting along known drug trafficking routes … and engaged in drug trafficking.”

More than 20 ships have been targeted in the Pacific and Caribbean in recent months, killing at least 90 people, as part of President Donald Trump’s escalating campaign against gangs he accuses of transporting drugs in the region.

Some experts said the attack could violate laws governing armed conflict.

The Trump administration accuses Venezuela of funneling drugs to the United States and has stepped up efforts to isolate President Nicolas Maduro in recent months.

Thousands of troops and the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier have been deployed within striking distance of Venezuela.

On December 10, the US military seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, claiming that the oil tanker was being used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran in an “illegal oil transportation network that supports foreign terrorist organizations.”

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Evan Gil called the seizure “an act of international piracy” and claimed Trump wanted Venezuela’s energy resources.

The South American country, which has the world’s largest proven oil reserves, also accuses Washington of trying to steal its resources.