Deadly Seas: Venezuelan Lives Cut Short Amid US Drug War

This article investigates the lives of four Venezuelan men among the casualties in US military strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats. Despite claims of targeting narco-terrorists, the deceased were mostly ordinary laborers caught in a perilous economic situation, seeking a better life through drug running.

A fisherman earning just USD 100 a month, a career criminal, a former military cadet, and a bus driver down on his luck are among the over 60 casualties of US military strikes that began in early September. Accused by President Trump of smuggling drugs, their deaths highlight the human cost of the administration's aggressive anti-drug operations.

Despite being labeled as narco-terrorists, interviews with residents in Venezuela reveal that most of the nine men were novice crew members making about USD 500 per trip, not cartel leaders or hardened criminals. The strikes have sparked outrage, with locals arguing that the men should have faced due process in court rather than extrajudicial execution.

The region, plagued by economic hardship, saw its residents forced to engage in risky smuggling ventures for survival—a consequence of shuttered industries and pervasive poverty, which pushed individuals like Robert Sanchez, a skilled fisherman, into a life-threatening trade he never truly aspired to embrace.

(With inputs from agencies.)