The United States struck another small boat accused of carrying drugs in the waters off Venezuela, killing six people, President Donald Trump said Tuesday, October 14. Those who died in the strike were aboard the vessel, and no US forces were harmed, the president said in a social media post. It's the fifth deadly strike in the Caribbean as Trump's administration has asserted it's treating alleged drug traffickers as unlawful combatants who must be met with military force.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the strike Tuesday morning, said Trump, who released a video of it as he has in the past. Hegseth later shared the video in a post on X. The black-and-white video showed a small boat that appeared stationary on the water. Seconds into the video, it is struck by a projectile from overhead and explodes. The boat is then seen floating aflame for several seconds.
Trump said the strike was conducted in international waters and "intelligence" confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, was associated with "narcoterrorist networks" and was on a known drug trafficking route.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking more information on the latest boat strike.
Meanwhile, frustration with the Trump administration has been growing on Capitol Hill among members of both major political parties. Some Republicans are seeking more information from the White House on the legal justification and details of the strikes. Democrats contend the strikes violate US and international law.
California Sen. Adam Schiff, a Democrat who last week pushed the vote on the Venezuela resolution, said in a post on X that the president's authority to respond to an armed attack or the threat of one was limited and did not apply.
"These continued strikes – 27 killed to date – risk getting the US into a full-fledged war," Schiff said. He said he would push for another vote if the strikes continue. The strikes followed a buildup of US maritime forces in the Caribbean, unlike any seen in recent times.
Following Tuesday's strike, Jorge Rodríguez, president of Venezuela's National Assembly and a close ally of President Nicolás Maduro, called on the press to combat US "lies" that are being used to justify a possible invasion.