Trump Confirms Six Dead, Former US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that American forces carried out another strike on a small vessel off the coast of Venezuela, killing six individuals he accused of being involved in drug trafficking. Trump said the operation was conducted in international waters and confirmed that no US personnel were harmed during the strike. In a statement shared on his Truth Social platform, Trump explained that intelligence sources had verified the targeted boat was transporting narcotics and was linked to international narcoterrorist networks. The former president added that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had authorized the mission early Tuesday morning. Trump also released video footage of the attack, similar to previous instances where he shared visuals of military actions ordered under his administration.
According to the Associated Press, this latest operation marks the fifth deadly US strike in the Caribbean since early September. The Trump administration has defended these actions as part of a broader campaign against global narcoterrorism. Officials stated that the United States is now in what they described as a non-international armed conflict with drug cartels operating across Latin America. A classified internal memo obtained by the New York Times reportedly revealed that Trump has designated certain cartels involved in drug smuggling as non-state armed groups. The document claimed that their activities constitute an armed attack against the United States. The White House has maintained that these operations are necessary to prevent the continuous flow of drugs entering the country and to dismantle the networks of the criminal organization known as Tren de Aragua, which has been labeled a foreign terrorist group.
Trump Confirms Six Dead After US Strike on Suspected Drug Boat Near Venezuela
However, the strikes have sparked significant controversy among international observers and human rights advocates. Legal experts and lawmakers have questioned the legitimacy of the US actions, arguing that they may violate international law. In September, United Nations officials condemned the US governments boat strikes, calling them acts of extrajudicial execution. International legal experts have insisted that no government has the right to carry out lethal operations against suspected drug traffickers without due process. They stressed that criminal activities should be addressed through investigation and prosecution in accordance with international legal standards, emphasizing the importance of cooperation between nations. Trump Confirms Six Dead
Tensions also flared last week after Colombian President Gustavo Petro claimed there were indications that one of the recently targeted boats belonged to Colombia and may have carried Colombian citizens. The White House strongly rejected his comments, labeling them as baseless and demanding a formal retraction. Meanwhile, in Washington, a motion presented in the US Senate to restrict further military actions without congressional approval failed to pass. Nearly all Republican senators and Democratic Senator John Fetterman voted against the proposal, ensuring that the administration retained authority to continue its operations. As Trump confirms six dead following this latest strike, the move underscores growing international unease about the expanding scope of US military engagement in the Caribbean and the potential implications for global maritime law. Trump Confirms Six Dead
