The U.S. military has again struck a Venezuelan vessel in international waters, targeting what it says were narcoterrorists transporting illegal drugs. According to President Trump, three people onboard were killed in this latest strike. The operation marks a fresh escalation in the Trump administration’s push to combat drug trafficking from Latin America, particularly by cracking down on cartels believed to be using maritime routes.
The strike comes after a previous operation in early September that reportedly killed 11 people aboard a separate boat allegedly connected to a Venezuelan gang known as the Tren de Aragua. In both cases, Washington claims the boats were carrying cocaine and fentanyl with plans to smuggle them into the U.S. Officials say the strikes are intended to disrupt narcotics networks, calling them a matter of national security and foreign policy due to the threat drugs pose domestically.
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro has condemned the military actions as extrajudicial killings and “murder,” arguing that targeting people on unarmed boats crossing international waters violates basic human rights. He also criticized United States policy for failing to reduce demand for drugs—claiming that Colombia and other Latin American countries are being scapegoated while consumption in the U.S. and Europe continues unchecked.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro has accused the U.S. of aggression and regime change, dismissing reports of drug trafficking links as fabricated and demanding evidence be made public. Both governments also rejected the legitimacy of the U.S. determinations that listed them as failing to meet international counternarcotics obligations, calling such moves politically motivated.
The incidents have stirred legal and diplomatic debates over the reach of U.S. military power, especially regarding striking foreign vessels outside territorial waters without explicit international mandate. As the U.S. signals it will continue similar operations, critics warn that this approach may violate international law and raise tensions in the region.
