US strikes ‘narco-trafficking vessel’ off Venezuela, killing four
The United States carried out an airstrike on Friday targeting what it called a “narco-trafficking vessel” off the coast of Venezuela
WASHINGTON (MNTV) — The United States carried out an airstrike on Friday targeting what it called a “narco-trafficking vessel” off the coast of Venezuela, killing four people, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said.
Hegseth said the operation was conducted under orders from President Donald Trump and took place in international waters within the US Southern Command’s area of responsibility.
“Four male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike, and no US forces were harmed,” he said on X. The vessel, according to the Pentagon chief, was carrying “substantial amounts of narcotics headed to America to poison our people.”
He said the latest operation marked the fourth US strike in recent weeks targeting boats allegedly used for drug smuggling. “These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over,” he added.
Trump said the strike stopped what he described as a massive drug shipment bound for the US. “A boat loaded with enough drugs to kill 25,000 to 50,000 people was stopped early this morning off the coast of Venezuela,” he wrote on Truth Social.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Trump ordered the operations against Venezuelan drug cartels “consistent with his responsibility to protect US interests abroad” and as part of the country’s broader national security strategy.
When asked whether the president’s actions required congressional approval, Leavitt said they were within Trump’s constitutional authority as commander in chief. “In each of these cases, the vessels have been assessed by the US intelligence community to be affiliated with designated terrorist organizations engaged in drug trafficking,” she added.
The strike comes amid rising tensions between Washington and Caracas. The Trump administration has accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of sheltering criminal cartels and designated several Venezuelan officials under US anti-narcotics sanctions.
The US has also deployed naval assets to the southern Caribbean, saying the move aims to curb the flow of illegal drugs. Washington is offering a $50 million reward for Maduro’s arrest, a move that has further strained relations with Caracas.
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