The United States military struck a suspected drug-smuggling boat near Venezuelan coast on Friday, killing four people instantly.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the operation in a post on X, emphasizing America’s resolve against drug traffickers.
“Our forces eliminated four male narco-terrorists on the vessel,” Hegseth stated firmly.
Moments later, a video he shared showed the speeding boat bursting into flames after impact.
He explained that the strike happened in international waters just off the Venezuelan coast.
“These strikes will continue until the attacks on Americans stop,” Hegseth warned.
So far, the military has carried out four similar operations, leaving at least 21 suspects dead.
However, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro swiftly condemned the attack, calling it an “act of armed aggression.”
He accused Washington of plotting to impose “puppet governments” and seize Venezuela’s oil and gold resources.
“If necessary, we will move from unarmed resistance to armed defense,” Maduro declared in Caracas.
Meanwhile, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) also condemned the action. The leftist bloc, co-founded by Hugo Chávez, described it as an “illegal incursion” violating international law.
ALBA further warned that repeated US raids aim to destabilize Latin America and intimidate its citizens.
Earlier, President Donald Trump’s administration informed Congress that the US was in “armed conflict” with drug cartels.
According to the Pentagon, these cartels operate as “non-state armed groups” and pose terrorist threats to Americans.
Nonetheless, international law experts rejected that reasoning, insisting such targeted killings off the Venezuelan coast breach international law even against traffickers.
President Trump later posted the same strike video on Truth Social, claiming the boat carried lethal drug quantities.
He wrote that the shipment contained enough narcotics “to kill between 25,000 and 50,000 people.”
Reacting, Colombian President Gustavo Petro criticised the attack off the Venezuelan coast as unjust and disproportionate.
“The narcos don’t ride those boats; they live in the US, Europe, and Dubai,” Petro argued on X.
He added that targeting poor Caribbean youths “violates proportionality” and worsens regional suffering.
Tensions between Washington and Caracas have escalated sharply in recent months.
On Thursday, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino accused the US of airspace violations after detecting five American fighter jets.
Last month, Trump ordered 10 F-35 jets to Puerto Rico, creating the region’s largest US military buildup in three decades.
