US forces carried out a strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel off the coast of Venezuela on Friday, killing all four people on board, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced.
In a post on X, Hegseth confirmed the attack, saying it was the latest in a series of military actions targeting what he described as “narco-terrorists.” The strike marks fourth such operation in recent weeks, bringing the reported death toll to 21.
“Four male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike,” which “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 Pentagon chief wrote.
“These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over!!!!” he added.
A video released alongside his statement showed a speedboat racing over the waves before being hit, sending up a plume of smoke and flames as it continued to burn while afloat.
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 operation came shortly after President Donald Trump’s administration notified Congress that the United States is now engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels.
According to the AFP, the notice said, “The president determined these cartels are non-state armed groups,” designating them as terrorist organizations and classifying their actions as “an armed attack against the United States.” The Pentagon also described the suspected smugglers as “unlawful combatants.”
However, Washington has yet to release evidence linking its recent targets directly to drug trafficking. Legal experts have raised concerns that such summary strikes could violate international law, even if the individuals involved were confirmed traffickers.
The escalation has further strained relations between Washington and Caracas. Venezuela has accused the United States of provocation, and even claimed to have detected “an illegal incursion” by five American fighter jets off its coast on Thursday. Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino condemned the alleged flights as a “provocation” and “a threat to our national security.”
The attack also follows Trump’s decision last month to deploy ten F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico in what officials described as the largest US military buildup in the Caribbean in over 30 years. The move came after two Venezuelan military aircraft reportedly flew dangerously close to a US naval vessel — prompting a warning from Trump that any similar incident in the future would result in Venezuelan jets being shot down.
