The United States has carried out another deadly strike on an alleged drug-smuggling vessel off the coast of Venezuela, killing four people, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Hegseth confirmed the operation in a post on X, stating that the strike—conducted in international waters near Venezuela—targeted a boat carrying a “substantial amount of narcotics” destined for the U.S. A video released with his statement showed a high-speed vessel engulfed in smoke and flames before continuing to burn as it drifted at sea.
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“Four male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike,” Hegseth wrote. “These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over!”
The operation marks at least the fourth U.S. strike of its kind in recent months, bringing the reported death toll to 21 people. The move is part of President Donald Trump’s expanded military campaign in the Caribbean, which his administration describes as a war against transnational drug cartels.
In a formal notice to Congress, the White House declared that the U.S. is engaged in “armed conflict” with drug cartels, labeling them as non-state armed groups and terrorist organizations. The Pentagon claimed that such groups’ actions amount to “armed attacks against the United States,” thereby justifying military engagement.
However, Washington has yet to release evidence substantiating its claims that the destroyed vessels were involved in narcotics trafficking. Legal experts have warned that summary executions at sea may violate international law, even if the targets are confirmed smugglers.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung celebrated the latest strike, writing that traffickers and their “deadly drugs have been turned into stardust.” President Trump shared the same video on Truth Social, claiming the boat was “loaded with enough drugs to kill 25 to 50 thousand people.”
The escalating operations have deepened tensions between Washington and Caracas. On Thursday, Venezuela reported detecting five U.S. fighter jets flying near its coastline, which Defense Minister Vladimir Padrinocondemned as a “provocation” and “a threat to national security.”
Last month, Trump ordered the deployment of 10 F-35 aircraft to Puerto Rico, along with eight warships and a nuclear submarine, in what is now the largest U.S. military presence in the Caribbean in more than three decades.
Following an incident in which two Venezuelan military jets approached a U.S. naval vessel, Trump warned that any repeat encounter would result in the shooting down of Venezuelan aircraft.
With military tensions rising and the legality of Washington’s actions under scrutiny, analysts warn that Trump’s war on drugs in the Caribbean risks spiraling into a broader regional confrontation.
