US Carries Out Another Strike On Drug-Smuggling Boat, Trump Shares Video

President Trump announced on Friday that US military forces executed their third lethal strike this month against a suspected drug trafficking vessel.

Washington:

President Donald Trump disclosed Friday that American military forces conducted their third deadly attack against an alleged drug smuggling vessel within the month.

In a social media statement, Trump revealed the strike eliminated three individuals aboard a vessel "affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization conducting narcotrafficking in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility." No specific details were provided regarding the strike's exact location.

When questioned about the operation, the Pentagon redirected inquiries to the White House, which did not respond to requests for additional information about the vessel's origin.

"Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking illicit narcotics, and was transiting along a known narcotrafficking passage enroute to poison Americans," Trump stated in his post.

The president also shared video footage of the latest operation showing a vessel moving rapidly through water before being hit by what appear to be two missiles from above, resulting in a fiery explosion and sinking.

ON VIDEO: U.S. Military Forces conducted a strike against a designated terrorist organization engaged in narcotrafficking. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking illicit narcotics and was en route to poison Americans. The strike killed three male narcoterrorists. pic.twitter.com/wjxRRMrxwB

"It was at this moment, the narcoterrorists knew they screwed up," White House communications director Steven Cheung remarked on X alongside the video.

Earlier this week on Monday, Trump had announced another US military strike against a boat allegedly transporting drugs from Venezuela, which also resulted in three fatalities.

That operation followed a September 2 military strike on what the Trump administration described as a drug-carrying speedboat, killing 11 people. Trump claimed the vessel was operated by the Tren de Aragua gang, which the US designated as a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year.

The Trump administration has defended these military actions as necessary escalation to combat drug flow into the United States.

However, several senators—both Democrats and some Republicans—as well as human rights organizations have raised questions about the legality of Trump's actions. Critics view these operations as potentially overextending executive authority, particularly by employing military forces for what appears to be law enforcement purposes.

The administration has yet to clarify how the military assessed the boats' cargo and determined the passengers' alleged gang affiliations prior to the attacks. National security officials informed members of Congress that the first targeted boat was fired upon multiple times after changing course and appearing to head back toward shore.

These strikes follow an increased deployment of US maritime forces in the Caribbean region.

The operations represent a significant shift in US tactics for combating drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere.

In Venezuela, speculation has emerged about whether these strikes might be part of a broader strategy to undermine President Nicolas Maduro's government, a suggestion that Maduro himself has voiced.

Following the first strike, Maduro claimed that a video released by Trump was created using artificial intelligence, asserting that a boat of that size couldn't navigate in open seas.

However, earlier this week Maduro criticized the US sharply, accusing the Trump administration of using drug trafficking allegations as pretext for military operations intended "to intimidate and seek regime change" in the South American nation.