Trump says third U.S. strike kills three narcoterrorists tied to drug trafficking
The president says a vessel affiliated with a designated terrorist organization was targeted; three men were killed in international waters, with no U.S. casualties.
President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States conducted a third strike against alleged drug traffickers affiliated with a designated terrorist organization, killing three male narcoterrorists aboard a vessel in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility. He posted on Truth Social that the operation was ordered by him and the Secretary of War, writing, "On my Orders, the Secretary of War ordered a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization conducting narcotrafficking in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility." He added, "Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking illicit narcotics, and was transiting along a known narcotrafficking passage enroute to poison Americans," according to Trump’s post. The president did not specify which terror group was targeted or which nation the vessel originated from, and said the attack occurred in international waters. Three men aboard the boat were killed, and no U.S. forces were harmed, Trump said, noting that footage accompanying the post shows a small boat racing across the ocean before a large explosion erupts in flames. "STOP SELLING FENTANYL, NARCOTICS, AND ILLEGAL DRUGS IN AMERICA, AND COMMITTING VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM AGAINST AMERICANS!!!" he warned.
The incident is being treated as the third strike in a broader U.S. campaign against drug traffickers tied to a designated terrorist organization, with the vessel described as traveling in international waters along a known narcotics passage en route to the United States.
Officials described the strike as part of a broader U.S. campaign to counter Venezuela’s state-backed cartel operating in the region. The notes provided with the claim indicate the operation targeted a vessel affiliated with a designated terrorist organization conducting narcotrafficking in the USSOUTHCOM area; the records do not name the group or identify the vessel’s nation of origin. The release leaves several details unspecified, and no independent confirmation was provided in a public briefing.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.