US Conducts Latest Strike on Boat Near Venezuela in Ongoing Anti-Drug Operation.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Friday that he ordered another strike on a small boat near Venezuela, claiming it was involved in drug trafficking. The strike reportedly killed four men, though no information has been provided on their identities or group affiliations. Hegseth described those aboard as “narco-terrorists,” following the Trump administration’s designation of several Latin American cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
President Donald Trump added in a social media post that the vessel carried “enough drugs to kill 25 to 50 thousand people” and suggested it was “entering American territory.” This marks the fourth deadly strike in the Caribbean, part of the administration’s broader campaign treating cartel operations as a non-international armed conflict.
Domestic and International Reactions
Support: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch defended the strikes, citing the president’s authority as commander-in-chief to act against organizations threatening US security. Criticism: Senator Rand Paul condemned the operations, arguing only Congress can declare war and criticizing the strikes for targeting unidentified individuals.
Regional Response: Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez called the strike a “warlike aggression” affecting the Caribbean. President Nicolás Maduro emphasized Venezuela’s right to sovereignty and defense, while Colombian President Gustavo Petro denounced the action, stating that the victims were “poor Caribbean youth” and not narco-terrorists.
Background and Details
The Trump administration’s memo to Congress cites a non-international armed conflict with designated cartels, instructing the Pentagon to operate under the law of armed conflict. Videos of the latest strike show a small boat engulfed in flames after an explosion, part of a series of operations targeting vessels said to originate from Venezuela.
The US Navy maintains a significant presence in the Caribbean, with eight warships and over 5,000 personnel, supporting these strikes. So far, four strikes have killed 21 people, but officials have not disclosed the specific organizations targeted.
Pentagon sources have referred further inquiries to Hegseth’s announcements, highlighting the limited public information on the operations.
Comments are closed.