On December 10, US forces seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, calling it colonialism and piracy.
What you should know
Eight people have been killed when US forces attacked three boats floating in the Pacific Ocean suspected of being involved in drug trafficking.
The US Southern Command posted footage of the attack on social media. 'The boats were traveling through known drug trafficking routes and were involved in smuggling,' the caption said.
The military has targeted more than 20 ships in the Pacific and Caribbean in recent months as part of US President Donald Trump's campaign against gangs. At least 90 people have been killed in the process, the military said.
Experts have warned that such attacks could violate international laws on armed conflict. The US first carried out the attack on September 2. Experts have also called for an investigation into the incident. This time, survivors of the first attack were killed in a second attack. Legal experts told the BBC that the second attack on the Venezuelan boat was illegal. They said it could amount to extrajudicial killing under international law.
A former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said that the US military operation could fall into the category of a planned, systematic attack on civilians in peacetime.
The White House, the US presidential office, claims that the attack was carried out legitimately to protect its citizens from drug traffickers. It claims that there were no violations of the law of armed conflict.
The US accuses Venezuela of supporting drug trafficking in its country. It has been trying to isolate Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in the international community. It has deployed a large number of troops to confront Venezuela.
On December 10, the US military seized an oil tanker near the coast of Venezuela. Venezuela calls it colonialism and robbery.
