President Donald Trump has announced that the United States military carried out a strike on a vessel he described as belonging to a Venezuelan drug cartel, killing three men in international waters on Monday, September 15, 2025.
Trump said the vessel had been transporting narcotics from Venezuela and was headed toward the United States, claiming that “big bags of cocaine and fentanyl” were left scattered in the ocean after the attack.
He emphasized that no U.S. forces were harmed.
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump referred to the operation as the “second kinetic strike” targeting what he called “extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists” within the U.S. Southern Command’s area of responsibility.
He argued that such actions are necessary to safeguard U.S. national security, foreign policy, and vital interests.
The strike follows a similar operation earlier this month in which U.S. forces destroyed another suspected Venezuelan drug vessel linked to the gang Tren de Aragua, leaving 11 people dead.
The administration has recently increased military deployments in the southern Caribbean, including stealth fighter jets, to strengthen efforts against drug trafficking networks.
However, several aspects of the latest incident remain unclear. Trump did not provide details on how the strike was conducted, what weaponry was used or how the vessel was tracked.
No independent evidence has been released to confirm that the boat was carrying narcotics, and the identity of the cartel involved has not been disclosed.
The Venezuelan government has condemned the strike, with President Nicolás Maduro describing it as an act of aggression and provocation.
Legal experts and human rights advocates have also questioned the legality of using lethal military force in international waters against suspected traffickers without transparent evidence or due process.
The latest operation underscores Trump’s escalating campaign against what he labels as “narcoterrorist threats.” While the administration portrays these strikes as essential for U.S. security, they have raised concerns of heightened tensions with Venezuela and broader debates over the rules of engagement in international waters.
