FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks to senior military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, U.S., September 30, 2025. Andrew Harnik/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
President Donald Trump announced another military strike against a suspected narco-trafficking vessel in international waters off Venezuela, killing six individuals the administration described as “narcoterrorists.”
In a Truth Social post, Trump stated: “Under my Standing Authorities as Commander-in-Chief, this morning, the Secretary of War, ordered a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) conducting narcotrafficking in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility — just off the Coast of Venezuela.”
The President also shared video of the strike, showing a stationary vessel being struck by what appears to be a missile.
The operation follows at least four similar strikes against suspected drug boats since early September as part of a broader shift in the Trump administration’s approach to drug interdiction. Earlier this month, the Trump administration formally determined that the United States is engaged in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels, according to documentation provided to Congress justifying the legal basis for deadly strikes.
An earlier strike on October 3, killed four individuals aboard another suspected narco-trafficking vessel. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth defended the operation: “Our intelligence, without a doubt, confirmed that this vessel was trafficking narcotics, the people onboard were narco-terrorists, and they were operating on a known narco-trafficking transit route. These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over!”
Legal experts have questioned the administration’s approach, particularly the use of military force rather than traditional maritime law enforcement agencies like the Coast Guard. They also question why non-lethal methods aren’t attempted before resorting to deadly force.
Some former military lawyers say the legal explanations given by the Trump administration for killing suspected drug traffickers at sea instead of apprehending them fail to satisfy requirements under the law of war, which requires several criteria to be met before taking lethal action, including first using non-lethal means like firing warning shots.
President Trump has defended the strategy, claiming each intercepted vessel carries enough narcotics to kill tens of thousands.
Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update
Essential maritime and offshore news, insights, and updates delivered daily straight to your inbox
The U.S. Coast Guard will continue to receive paychecks despite the ongoing government shutdown, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced today. “While Democrats have played politics with military pay...
By Karl Lester M. Yap Oct 12, 2025 (Bloomberg) –The Philippines accused a Chinese ship of deliberately ramming a government vessel in the disputed South China Sea, the latest alleged incident...
Oct 10 (Reuters) – U.N. Security Council members on Friday expressed concern about escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela, with Russia accusing Washington of using a shoot-first “cowboy” principle in...
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
