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Digital illustration of a speedboat being targeted by the US in a "kinetic strike" on the high seas. This image was generated using artificial intelligence (AI) to represent military infrared surveillance footage released by US Southern Command following its Febuary 20, 2026, extrajudicial killing. Photo: Orinoco Tribune via Google AI.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)âUS Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) reported a new lethal strike in the Eastern Pacific on Friday, bringing the total number of deaths from its “kinetic strikes” on small boats to 142. The announcement comes as international legal experts and human rights organizations condemn this US policy, characterizing it as extrajudicial killings.
In a statement on Friday, February 20, SOUTHCOM reported that its Operation Southern Spear conducted a “successful kinetic strike” against a small boat suspected of drug trafficking. The operation resulted in three assassinations. There were no survivors of the incident, which took place in international waters.
On Feb. 20, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known⌠pic.twitter.com/PzWQFfNgHm
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) February 21, 2026
Escalation of extrajudicial killings
While the US military calls these actions necessary counter-narcotics measures, US and international legal experts label the policy as a campaign of extrajudicial killings. Critics point out that the use of lethal force against suspects who do not pose an imminent violent threat violates international law, human rights, and the right to due process.
US organizations such as the ACLU have noted that SOUTHCOM is acting as “judge, jury, and executioner” on the high seas. Legal experts have highlighted that even under the premise of criminal activity, the summary execution of individuals on civilian boats lacks any legal basis in either US or international maritime law.
Statistical analysis of the extrajudicial murders
According to data tracked by Orinoco Tribune, the death toll from these operations has reached a grim milestone. Since the strikes began in September last year, a total of 142 people have been killed in 42 separate strikes.
The statistical breakdown of the fatalities reveals the geographical scope of the violence:
⢠Eastern Pacific: 88 deaths recorded in 29 strikes.
⢠Caribbean Sea: 54 deaths recorded in 13 strikes.
The deadliest day was February 16, 2026, when three separate US strikes across both regions resulted in 11 deaths in a single day. The data further shows a trend of “zero-survivor” outcomes, as search-and-rescue operations for those missing at sea are frequently terminated shortly after the strikes occur, with individuals later presumed dead.
Venezuela condemns renewal of US sanction framework
On Saturday, February 21, the Venezuelan government issued a statement expressing its categorical condemnation of the renewal of the US “national emergency” regarding Venezuela. This measure, which labels Venezuela “an unusual and extraordinary threat to US national security,” was extended by the US government on February 18, 2026.
The renewal continues Executive Order 13692, originally signed on March 8, 2015, by then-President Barack Obama. The Venezuelan government noted that this measure lacks any objective basis or real justification, and violates international law. It serves as the legal base for the battery of sanctions designed by US imperialism to bring about “regime change” in Venezuela. Most of those illegal sanctions are still in force and have failed to achieve its main goal.
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The unofficial translation of the Venezuelan statement follows:
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela categorically rejects the renewal of the so-called ânational emergencyâ with respect to our country, extended on February 18, 2026 by the government of the United States, in continuation of Executive Order 13692, signed on March 8, 2015 by then President Barack Hussein Obama.
From its inception, this instrument was conceived without objective basis or real justification, based on arguments divorced from truth and international law, and labeling Venezuela as an “unusual and extraordinary threat.” Eleven years later, reality confirms what the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has consistently maintained: our country poses no threat whatsoever to the people or government of the United States, nor to any nation in the world.
The persistence of this measure, born under political premises that do not correspond to reality, only contributes to maintaining narratives of confrontation that do not reflect the true historical, cultural and human ties that should prevail between the Venezuelan and US peoples.
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela urges the government of the United States to assume a constructive and respectful role in conducting its international relations, abandon unilateral approaches, and move towards a stage of mutual respect, frank dialogue based on sovereignty, non-interference, and the shared benefit of our nations.
Caracas, February 21, 2026
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SC
