Trump says U.S. strikes drug-trafficking vessel in international waters, killing three

President Donald Trump said Friday that U.S. forces conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel in international waters linked to a designated terrorist organization conducting narcotrafficking in the U.S. Southern Command’s area of responsibility. The target vessel was identified as trafficking illicit narcotics, and three narcoterrorists were reported killed, according to Trump. A video circulating on social media appeared to depict the vessel catching fire shortly after the strike. The post noted that no U.S. forces were harmed in the operation and reiterated calls to curb fentanyl and other illegal drugs entering the United States.

The strike occurred in international waters, with authorities saying the vessel was affiliated with a designated terrorist organization and was transiting along a known narcotrafficking passage en route to the United States. The operation was said to have been conducted on the president’s orders, and the administration framed it as part of a broader crackdown on narcotics trafficking tied to violent networks in the Western Hemisphere.

This comes as a second kinetic strike against drug-trafficking cartels in the SOUTHCOM area was disclosed in posts by the president earlier this week. Trump said U.S. forces conducted a second strike against positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug-trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility, noting the operation was part of ongoing actions against networks in the region. Earlier in the month, authorities reported a separate strike that destroyed a Venezuelan drug boat in the southern Caribbean, resulting in the deaths of nearly a dozen suspected members of the Tren de Aragua cartel. The strikes come amid a push that has designated several drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations in February, including Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel.

The U.S. Southern Command describes its area of responsibility as covering most of South America and the Caribbean, a key transit zone for illicit shipping according to official releases. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned the strikes, saying Venezuela would defend itself against what his government called U.S. aggression and vowing to respond to what Caracas regards as interference.

Legal observers have noted potential questions about international law, particularly regarding strikes conducted in international waters. In a BBC report on similar operations, some legal experts warned that earlier incidents could raise concerns under international human rights and maritime law, underscoring the complex legal framework that governs actions at sea when targeting narcoterrorist networks.

The series of posts illustrates a continuing U.S. push to disrupt narcotrafficking networks in the Western Hemisphere, including the designation of key cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and the use of kinetic strikes as a tool of enforcement. Officials have provided limited public detail beyond presidential statements and short video clips, and no independent confirmation of casualty figures has been issued by the military.