In a recent announcement, Donald Trump disclosed that the US military conducted an operation targeting alleged drug traffickers, resulting in the elimination of three individuals referred to as “narcoterrorists.”
The specific group and origin of the vessel struck by a “lethal kinetic strike” remain undisclosed. However, President Trump stated on his Truth Social media platform that the vessel was linked to a Designated Terrorist Organization and was involved in narcotrafficking within the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility.
USSOUTHCOM, also known as the US Southern Command, operates in Latin America south of Mexico, the waters adjacent to Central and South America, and the Caribbean Sea. Trump emphasized that intelligence reports confirmed the vessel’s involvement in trafficking illicit narcotics along a known narcotrafficking route aimed at harming Americans.
A video shared by Trump captured the moment of the strike, showing the vessel swiftly moving through the water before being struck by missiles from above and sinking in a fiery explosion. White House communications director Steven Cheung remarked on the incident, stating, “It was at this moment, the narcoterrorists knew they screwed up.”
This operation followed a previous one on September 2, targeting a drug-carrying speedboat that resulted in the death of 11 individuals. The Trump administration identified the boat as being operated by the Tren de Aragua gang, which had been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the US earlier in the year.
The military action was defended by the Trump administration as a necessary measure to curb the influx of drugs into the United States. However, concerns have been raised by several senators, both Democrats and some Republicans, along with human rights organizations, regarding the legality of Trump’s actions and the potential misuse of executive authority by involving the military in law enforcement activities.
The Trump administration has yet to clarify how the military assessed the cargo on the boats and determined the alleged gang affiliation of the passengers before launching the strikes. National security officials informed Congress members that the initial boat targeted was fired upon multiple times after changing course and heading back toward the shore.
These strikes come amidst an increase in US maritime presence in the Caribbean and signify a significant shift in the approach taken by the US to combat drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere. Speculations in Venezuela suggest that the strikes could be part of a larger plan aimed at destabilizing President Nicolás Maduro, a notion echoed by the Venezuelan leader himself.
Maduro disputed the US video released by Trump, claiming it was created using artificial intelligence and asserting that a boat of that size could not navigate the open seas. He accused the Trump administration of using drug trafficking allegations as a pretext for a military operation with intentions to intimidate and instigate regime change in Venezuela.