US Military Targets Boat Carrying Drugs from Venezuela
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said the U.S. military on Monday again targeted a boat allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela, killing three aboard the vessel, and hinted that the military targeting of cartels could be further expanded.
“The Strike occurred while these confirmed narcoterrorists from Venezuela were in International Waters transporting illegal narcotics (A DEADLY WEAPON POISONING AMERICANS!) headed to the U.S.,” Trump said in a Truth Social post announcing the strike. “These extremely violent drug trafficking cartels POSE A THREAT to U.S. National Security, Foreign Policy, and vital U.S. Interests.”
The strike was carried out nearly two weeks after another military strike on what the Trump administration said was a drug-carrying speedboat from Venezuela that killed 11.
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Proof of Drug Smuggling
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office later on Monday, Trump said he had been shown footage of the latest strike by Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Asked what proof the U.S. has that the vessel was carrying drugs, Trump replied, “We have proof. All you have to do is look at the cargo that was spattered all over the ocean — big bags of cocaine and and fentanyl all over the place.”
Expanding Military Strikes
Trump also hinted that U.S. military strikes targeting alleged drug smugglers at sea could be expanded to land.
He said the U.S. military is seeing fewer vessels in the Caribbean since carrying out the first strike early this month. But he said the cartels are still smuggling drugs by land.
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“We’re telling the cartels right now we’re going to be stopping them, too,” Trump said. “When they come by land we’re going to be stopping them the same way we stopped the boats. … But maybe by talking about it a little bit, it won’t happen. If it doesn’t happen that’s good.”
Warning to Cartels
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later took to X to warn cartels the U.S. would “track them, kill them, and dismantle their networks throughout our hemisphere — at the times and places of our choosing,” echoing muscular language used by past administrations during the Global War on Terror. The White House also posted a short unclassified video clip on social media of the strike.
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Justification for Military Action
The Trump administration has justified the military action as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the U.S.
But several senators, Democrats and some Republicans, have indicated their dissatisfaction with the administration’s rationale and questioned the legality of the action. They view it as a potential overreach of executive authority in part because the military was used for law enforcement purposes.
Response from Venezuelan Government
The Venezuelan government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reported strike.
The Trump administration has railed specifically against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for the scourge of illegal drugs in U.S. communities.
Maduro during a news conference earlier on Monday lashed out at the U.S. government, accusing the Trump administration of using drug trafficking accusations as an excuse for a military operation whose intentions are “to intimidate and seek regime change” in the South American country.
US View on Venezuelan President
Speaking to Fox News earlier Monday, Rubio reiterated that the U.S. doesn’t see Maduro as the rightful leader of Venezuela but as head of a drug cartel. Rubio has consistently depicted Venezuela as a vestige of communist ideology in the Western Hemisphere.
“We’re not going to have a cartel, operating or masquerading as a government, operating in our own hemisphere,” Rubio said.
Conclusion
The US military strike on a boat allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela has sparked controversy and raised questions about the legality and justification of the action. The Trump administration has asserted self-defense as a legal justification for the strike, but several senators have expressed dissatisfaction with the administration’s rationale.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What was the target of the US military strike?
A: The target of the US military strike was a boat allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela.
Q: How many people were killed in the strike?
A: Three people were killed in the strike.
Q: What is the justification for the military action?
A: The Trump administration has justified the military action as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the U.S.
Q: Has the Venezuelan government responded to the strike?
A: The Venezuelan government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reported strike.
Q: What is the US view on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro?
A: The US doesn’t see Maduro as the rightful leader of Venezuela but as head of a drug cartel.
