Ione WellsSouth America Correspondent and
Nadine Yousif
The US has struck another vessel off the coast of Venezuela on Tuesday, killing six people, President Donald Trump has said.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the vessel belonged to “narcoterrorists” and that it was “trafficking narcotics”.
This is the fifth strike of its kind by the Trump administration on a boat accused of trafficking drugs on international waters since September. In total, 27 people have been reported killed, but the US has not provided evidence or details about identities of the vessels or those on board them.
Some lawyers have accused the US of breaching international law, and neighbouring nations like Colombia and Venezuela have condemned the strikes.
In his Truth Social post, Trump said “intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, was associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks, and was transiting along a known” route for smuggling.
He also posted an aerial surveillance video showing a small boat on water that is struck by a missile and explodes.
US strike on ‘Venezuela drug boat’: What do we know, and was it legal?What is Trump’s goal as US bombs ‘Venezuela drugs boat’?Trump did not specify the nationality of those on board, or what drug smuggling organisation they are suspected of belonging to. He added that no US military personnel were injured.
The strike comes after a recent leaked memo sent to Congress, and reported on by US media, that said the administration determined the US was in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels.
It has also deployed multiple warships to the Caribbean.
The US has positioned its strikes on alleged drug-trafficking vessels as self-defence. Many lawyers questioning the legality of such military action.
Framing this as an active armed conflict is likely a way for Trump to justify using more extreme wartime powers – for example killing “enemy fighters” even if they have not posed a violent threat, or detaining people indefinitely.
While it is true that some drug trafficking occurs in Venezuela, and some cartels operate in the region that some of these vessels allegedly have originated from, it is not considered a hotspot for drug trafficking compared to some other locations in the region.
As a result, many believe this is part of a wider political campaign to put military pressure on Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro.
The strikes come after the US announced a $50m (£37m) reward for any information leading to the arrest of Maduro – whose election to lead the country has been widely rejected by the international community – on drug-trafficking charges.
Venezuela’s government has reacted to previous recent strikes with anger.
Maduro denies American accusations that he is involved with drugs trafficking, while another official has questioned the veracity of footage posted by Trump.
