US Conducts Fourth Drug Boat Strike Off Venezuela Amid Cartel Conflict

The U.S. military, under orders from President Donald Trump, has conducted a lethal strike against a narco-trafficking vessel off the coast of Venezuela, killing four individuals identified as narco-terrorists. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed that the vessel was transporting substantial narcotics destined for the United States and was operating on a known drug trafficking route in international waters. This action is part of a broader campaign, with at least four such strikes recently, following Trump's declaration of an "armed conflict" with drug cartels, which he designates as non-state armed groups and terrorist organizations. The administration's position is that these cartels' actions constitute armed attacks against the U.S., justifying military operations to protect American interests and people. Hegseth emphasized that these strikes will continue until the threats to the American public cease, despite legal debates over the use of military force against cartels labeled as foreign terrorist organizations. The campaign reflects a heightened U.S. counter-narcotics effort in the Caribbean, with the Trump administration asserting constitutional authority as Commander in Chief to conduct these foreign operations.