WASHINGTON/CARACAS: US forces carried out a second military strike on a vessel allegedly carrying narcotics from Venezuela, killing three people aboard, President Donald Trump announced Monday. No American personnel were injured.
“BE WARNED — IF YOU ARE TRANSPORTING DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS, WE ARE HUNTING YOU!” Trump declared on Truth Social, sharing footage of the operation. He described the target as a “narcoterrorist” boat in international waters transporting drugs bound for the United States.
The strike comes two weeks after a similar operation that destroyed a speedboat reportedly carrying narcotics from Venezuela, killing 11. At the time, the administration said the military escalation was needed to curb the flow of drugs into the US.
The move has drawn criticism from lawmakers across party lines, with some senators questioning the legality of using the military for what they see as law enforcement functions. Critics warn it could mark an overreach of executive power.
In Caracas, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned Washington’s actions, denouncing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the “lord of death and war.” Maduro accused the US of mounting aggression aimed at regime change, vowing Venezuela would exercise its “legitimate right to defend itself” amid the growing American naval presence in the Caribbean.
