US President Donald Trump on Friday announced he had ordered a military strike on a Venezuelan vessel allegedly engaged in narcotrafficking, killing three men onboard. He said the vessel was linked to a designated terrorist organization and accused it of transporting narcotics along a known smuggling route toward the United States.In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “On my orders, the Secretary of War ordered a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization conducting narcotrafficking in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility.” He added that the strike took place in international waters and confirmed that “no US forces were harmed in this strike.”Trump also issued a blunt warning, telling traffickers to stop selling fentanyl, narcotics and other “illegal drugs in America and to end violence and terrorism against Americans.” He attached a video of the attack, framing it as evidence of his administration’s resolve to combat narcoterrorismThe operation follows two earlier US strikes in recent weeks on alleged Venezuelan drug-trafficking vessels. One of those attacks, carried out two weeks ago, left 11 people dead. Another strike earlier this week killed three. He has framed the actions as necessary to stop narcotics from “poisoning Americans.”The Venezuelan government has strongly condemned the US actions. President Nicolás Maduro accused Washington of aggression and regime-change tactics, branding US Secretary of State Marco Rubio the “lord of death and war” over his tough rhetoric on Latin American cartels. Caracas has deployed troops along its coast and vowed to exercise its “legitimate right to defend itself.”Tensions between Washington and Caracas have escalated sharply. The US has increased its naval presence in the Caribbean and doubled the reward for Maduro’s capture to $50 million, while Venezuela has responded by stationing forces along its coastline and accusing the US of seizing civilian boats. Recent confrontations at sea, including Venezuelan jets shadowing US naval ships, have added to the volatility.
