US strikes alleged drug boat near Venezuelan waters
October 3, 2025
The Pentagon announced on Friday that a fourth strike had been carried out on a small boat in international waters of the Caribbean Sea, near Venezuela.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the strike in a social media post, saying that US 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."
The strike came after Donald Trump declared drug cartels to be unlawful combatants. According to a memo obtained by The Associated Press, the US is now in an "armed conflict" with drug cartels.
Hegseth confirmed the strike was carried out in international waters, just off the coast of Venezuela.
"Four male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike," the Pentagon chief wrote. "These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over!!!!."
The strikes are the latest escalation between the United States and Venezuela, which has accused Washington of seeking regime change.
White House posts strike video
Hegseth attached a video to his post, purported to be of the strike.
In the video, a small boat is seen navigating at high speed when it suddenly explodes, debris scatters in the area and a fire engulfs what remains of the vessel floating in the water.
Trump posted the same video on his Truth Social platform, saying that "a boat loaded with enough drugs to kill 25 TO 50 THOUSAND PEOPLE was stopped, early this morning off the Coast of Venezuela, from entering American Territory."
The US military carried out three other deadly strikes last month against boats in the Caribbean, which the Trump administration has said were ferrying drugs.
Friday's strike marks the third operation targeting vessels that originate from Venezuela.
Currently, the US Navy has eight warships with over 5,000 sailors and Marines deployed to the area in a recent military buildup that the Trump administration says is part of its fight against drug trafficking.
Edited by: Sean Sinico