The United States on Friday destroyed its fourth drug smuggling boat in international waters off the coast of Venezuela.
“Earlier this morning, on President Trump’s orders, I directed a lethal, kinetic strike on a narco-trafficking vessel affiliated with Designated Terrorist Organizations in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth posted on X.
“Four male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike, and no U.S. forces were harmed in the operation,” he wrote. A video showing the boat’s destruction accompanied the post.
Earlier this morning, on President Trump’s orders, I directed a lethal, kinetic strike on a narco-trafficking vessel affiliated with Designated Terrorist Organizations in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility. Four male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the… pic.twitter.com/QpNPljFcGn
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) October 3, 2025
“The strike was conducted in international waters just off the coast of Venezuela while the vessel was transporting substantial amounts of narcotics – headed to America to poison our people,” the post said.
“Our intelligence, without a doubt, confirmed that this vessel was trafficking narcotics, the people onboard were narco-terrorists, and they were operating on a known narco-trafficking transit route. These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over!!!!” the post said.
A White House post on X said the boat was “loaded with enough drugs to kill 25,000 to 50,000 PEOPLE.”
The post also carried a message to future drug runners: “BE WARNED!”
???? ON CAMERA: This morning, President Trump ordered a strike on a narco-trafficking vessel affiliated with Designated Terrorist Organizations headed to America and loaded with enough drugs to kill 25,000 to 50,000 PEOPLE off the Coast of Venezuela.
BE WARNED! pic.twitter.com/231ttj4q9P
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 3, 2025
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Friday all of the attacks were “pursuant to his constitutional authority as commander in chief and the chief executive to conduct foreign relations,” according to ABC News.
“The president has been very clear, dating back to the campaign trail, that he is always going to do what’s in the best interest of the American homeland,” she said.
The Trump administration last month notified Congress that the United States is in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels it previously designated as terrorist organizations, according to CBS News.
The notice came after two attacks on boats carrying illegal drugs that were destroyed in international waters near Venezuela.
The notice called those killed “unlawful combatants,” replication language used by the administration of former President George W. Bush in its attacks on terrorists.
The United States has about eight U.S. Navy ships and 5,000 service members in the Caribbean region to deter drug smugglers.
Venezuela has rejected allegations that its government has aligned itself with drug smugglers and has protested against the American military presence in international waters off its shores.
As noted by The New York Times, President Donald Trump signed an order in July that remains secret, green-lighting the use of military force against Latin American criminal organizations that his administration has labeled as terrorists.
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