A fisherman scraping by on $100 monthly, a career criminal, a former military cadet, and a struggling bus driver were among the victims of recent boat strikes initiated by the U.S. military targeting alleged drug smugglers off the coast of Venezuela. The Trump administration claims these boats were linked to narco-terrorism and cartels trafficking drugs to the U.S.
The Associated Press has identified four of the men and gathered information about five others who perished in these strikes. Interviews with locals and relatives revealed that while the men were involved in drug trafficking, they were not high-ranking criminals. Most were new to crewing such boats, earning around $500 per trip. They hailed from modest homes on the Paria Peninsula, enduring hardships like water shortages and power outages.
Residents and relatives, fearing reprisals, expressed outrage over the lack of due process in the killings. They lamented the lack of information due to government repression in the region. Venezuelan officials have condemned the U.S. strikes as extrajudicial, denying the presence of drug traffickers in the country.
The U.S. military has destroyed 17 vessels, resulting in over 60 fatalities. The strikes coincide with heightened pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The administration justifies these actions by labeling drug cartels as unlawful combatants. However, the seized boats were transporting cocaine, not the more lethal synthetic opioids.
Family members identified the deceased through word-of-mouth and subtle social media posts. They shared anecdotes about the victims, like Robert Sánchez, a skilled fisherman striving to provide for his family, and Luis Martínez, a known local criminal caught in the crossfire. Dushak Milovcic, enticed by criminal activities, and Juan Carlos Fuentes, a struggling bus driver turned smuggler, also tragically lost their lives in the strikes.
The devastating consequences of these operations have left communities in mourning, questioning the justifiability of such lethal measures in combating drug trafficking.