A U.S. strike on a vessel off the coast of Venezuela killed six suspected drug traffickers on Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced, marking the latest in a series of operations as Washington intensifies its military presence in the region.
Trump, writing on his social media platform Truth Social, said the strike targeted a “designated terrorist organisation,” though he provided no details about which group was involved.
“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics and was associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks,” Trump said, offering no supporting evidence.
A video clip of about 30 seconds, shared by Trump, appeared to show a stationary boat struck by a projectile before erupting in flames.
The Pentagon later told Congress that the president had determined the United States is engaged in “a non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels.
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Some former military legal experts have questioned the legality of such actions, arguing that killing suspected traffickers at sea, rather than attempting to apprehend them, does not meet the criteria set under international law governing armed conflict.
The strike follows a steady U.S. military build-up in the southern Caribbean. Eight warships and a nuclear-powered submarine are currently deployed in the region, along with F-35 fighter aircraft based in Puerto Rico. Thousands of U.S. sailors and marines are reported to be part of the operation.
Washington has offered little information on previous strikes, including the identities of those killed or details about the narcotics allegedly seized.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has repeatedly accused Washington of using the drug war as a pretext to undermine his government. The United States in August doubled its reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, alleging his involvement in drug trafficking and organised crime claims the Venezuelan leader denies.
The latest strike is seen as part of Trump’s broader strategy of using U.S. military power in unconventional ways, from deploying active-duty troops on U.S. soil to authorising counter-terrorism strikes on suspected drug traffickers abroad.
