US boat strikes kill eightAP, WASHINGTONThe US military on Wednesday said it struck five alleged drug-smuggling boats over two days, killing eight people, while others jumped overboard and might have survived. The latest attacks bring the total number of known boat strikes to 35 and the number of people killed to at least 115 since early September last year, according to numbers announced by US President Donald Trump’s administration. The White house also stepped up a pressure campaign against Venezuela’s oil exports by sanctioning companies based in Hong Kong and mainland China, along with related oil tankers it accused of evading restrictions. US Southern Command, which oversees South America, did not reveal where the attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday occurred. Three people were killed when the first boat was struck, while those in the other two boats jumped overboard and distanced themselves from the vessels before they were attacked, the military said.

Source: Taipei Times January 01, 2026 17:30 UTC