US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the US military struck a Venezuelan drug cartel vessel in international waters, killing three men. This marks the second such strike in recent weeks, with Trump claiming the vessel carried drugs, though he provided no direct evidence.
He later insisted that proof lay in the scattered cargo, describing “big bags of cocaine and fentanyl” left floating in the ocean. A video released alongside his post showed a vessel exploding and burning at sea.
The strike comes amid an expanding US military presence in the Caribbean. Over the weekend, five F-35 fighter jets landed in Puerto Rico, joining a growing buildup that includes at least seven warships and a nuclear-powered submarine.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized that the deployment was not for training but part of a counter-narcotics mission, pledging to “track, kill, and dismantle” drug networks across the hemisphere. Trump also suggested that operations may soon target traffickers on land, warning smugglers they could be stopped “the same way we stopped the boats.”
The Venezuelan government has not yet responded to the latest strike, though President Nicolás Maduro has denounced recent US actions as “aggressions,” saying communication with Washington has collapsed.
The first US strike earlier this month allegedly killed 11 suspected members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, though Venezuela denied this, insisting none of those killed were affiliated with the group. Some US lawmakers and legal experts have questioned the legality of the operations, as the Pentagon has offered little detail about the nature of the drugs or the weapons used.
The strikes highlight rising tensions between Washington and Caracas, with the US also increasing pressure on Maduro by doubling its reward for information leading to his arrest to $50 million. Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress are pushing to challenge Trump’s unilateral military actions, setting up a potential clash over constitutional war powers.
