The U.S. military has carried out a second kinetic strike against what the administration describes as a Venezuelan drug boat in international waters, resulting in the deaths of three people alleged to be cartel members.
President Trump announced the operation on Truth Social alongside video of the strike, stating: “This morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a SECOND Kinetic Strike against positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility.”
The president added that the strike occurred while “confirmed narcoterrorists from Venezuela were in International Waters transporting illegal narcotics headed to the U.S.” and resulted in “3 male terrorists killed in action” with no U.S. forces harmed.
This operation follows an earlier strike on September 2, when the U.S. military killed 11 people on a vessel from Venezuela allegedly carrying illegal narcotics. That action marked the first known operation since President Trump’s recent deployment of warships to the southern Caribbean.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has indicated that military operations against cartels would continue. However, little is known about the legal justification used for these strikes or what specific drugs were allegedly being transported and to where.
The decision to destroy suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean rather than seize them and apprehend their crews represents a significant departure from traditional Coast Guard procedures. This approach has raised legal and moral questions, with critics noting similarities to tactics used in counter-terrorism operations against militant groups.
Meanwhile, tensions between Washington and Caracas continue to escalate. On Saturday, the Venezuelan government alleged that the USS Jason Dunham intercepted, boarded and occupied a Venezuelan tuna fishing vessel for eight hours in Venezuelan waters. Foreign Minister Yvan Gil stated the tuna vessel was boarded “in an illegal and hostile manner” and was crewed by nine “humble” fishermen.
The Venezuelan government has demanded that the U.S. “immediately cease targeting vessels,” warning that such actions put “the security and peace of the Caribbean at risk.”
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