Trump Says Six Killed in U.S. Strike on Suspected Drug Boat off Venezuela

President Donald Trump said six suspected drug traffickers were killed on Tuesday in a U.S. strike on a boat off the coast of Venezuela, marking the latest in a series of such operations as Washington steps up its military presence in the region.

The strike represents the Trump administration’s continued use of U.S. military power in new and often legally contentious ways — from deploying active-duty troops in Los Angeles to carrying out counterterrorism-style attacks on suspected drug traffickers.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the operation targeted a “designated terrorist organization,” though he did not specify which group.

“Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was trafficking narcotics and linked to an illegal narco-terrorist network,” Trump claimed, offering no evidence. He also posted a roughly 30-second video showing a stationary boat in the water being hit by a projectile and then exploding.

The Pentagon recently informed Congress that Trump had determined the United States was engaged in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels.

However, several former military legal experts have argued that the administration’s justification for killing suspected traffickers at sea, rather than capturing them, does not meet the requirements of the laws of war.

The U.S. has significantly increased its military presence in the southern Caribbean, including F-35 fighter jets in Puerto Rico, eight warships carrying thousands of sailors and Marines, and a nuclear-powered submarine in the area.

The Trump administration has released little information about prior strikes, including details about the identities of those killed or the cargo on board.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has repeatedly accused the United States of trying to overthrow him. In August, Washington doubled its reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, alleging his involvement in drug trafficking and criminal networks — accusations Maduro has denied.