Trump says 6 killed in strike on ‘narcoterrorists’ off Venezuela’s coast

President Trump said on Tuesday that the U.S. military killed six alleged “narcoterrorists” in a “kinetic” strike off the coast of Venezuela. 

The president said the boat was affiliated with a designated terrorist organization and was struck Tuesday morning in the U.S. Southern Command (Southcom) area of responsibility. 

“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, was associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks, and was transiting along a known DTO route,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “The strike was conducted in International Waters, and six male narcoterrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike.” 

No U.S. troops were harmed in the operation, the president said.

This is the fifth strike the U.S. military has conducted against alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea in recent months. The previous four strikes killed 21 people in total, according to administration officials. 

In his post on Tuesday, Trump attached a 33-second video showing the vessels being struck while at sea and engulfed in flame. 

The campaign against alleged drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea comes as Trump has hammered Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, accusing him of being a drug lord and calling him an illegitimate leader. The administration has called off diplomatic outreach with Venezuela in recent weeks. 

Earlier this month, the president informed Congress that the U.S. is in an armed conflict with drug cartels characterized as terrorist groups by the administration. 

Democrats have objected to the strikes, which first took place in early September, and have tried to force a vote on a measure to halt the attacks against the vessels. The resolution, which was led by Sens. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), failed in a 48-51 vote earlier this month.