WASHINGTON – A day after President Donald Trump declared the United States is in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels, the U.S. military carried out another deadly strike on a boat off the Venezuela coast. According to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, four men aboard the vessel—described as narco-terrorists affiliated with designated terrorist organizations—were killed.
Earlier this year, Trump labeled eight entities as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Hegseth did not specify which group the boat was tied to, but said it was transporting substantial amounts of narcotics headed for the U.S.
The strike occurred in international waters near Venezuela, a move that could further inflame tensions with the Maduro regime. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced Tuesday that he is preparing to declare a state of emergency to protect his country in case of additional U.S. military action.
This strike marks at least the fourth known U.S. military operation in the Caribbean since early September, all targeting boats the administration claims are connected to drug cartels.
The operations have raised concerns among lawmakers and legal experts, who question the administration’s authority to use military force instead of law enforcement. Critics say the strikes test the limits of presidential power and bypass Congress’s constitutional role in authorizing military action. Legal scholars also note that the Coast Guard, not the military, is the lead U.S. agency for maritime law enforcement.
Despite the controversy, Hegseth emphasized that the military will continue targeting cartel operations.
“These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over!!!!” he wrote in a post on X.
