U.S. forces struck a second vessel suspected of carrying illegal drugs in international waters, killing three Venezuelans, President Donald Trump said Monday on his Truth Social platform.
Trump said that U.S. forces had targeted "positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility."
He said the strike took place while the "confirmed narcoterrorists from Venezuela" were transporting narcotics bound for the United States.
"The Strike resulted in 3 male terrorists killed in action," Trump said, adding that no U.S. forces were harmed.
"BE WARNED - IF YOU ARE TRANSPORTING DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS, WE ARE HUNTING YOU!" the U.S. president added.
Trump shared a 27-second video showing the boat being attacked.
It was the second such attack in recent weeks. At the beginning of this month, the U.S. military killed 11 people in a strike on another boat allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean.
At the time, Trump also claimed the vessel had been smuggling narcotics from Venezuela to the U.S.. The U.S. State Department, however, initially stated that the drug shipment was probably en route to Trinidad and Tobago or another Caribbean country.
It was also unclear on what legal basis the U.S. was acting.
Unlike the earlier incident, Trump this time did not name the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which his administration has designated as a foreign terrorist organization.
Considered Venezuela's most powerful gang, Tren de Aragua is linked to drug trafficking, extortion, illegal mining and people smuggling, and has expanded its operations into other Latin American countries and the U.S..
Recently, tensions between the two countries have escalated. According to media reports, the U.S. has deployed several warships off the Venezuelan Caribbean coast in recent weeks, saying the vessels are there to intercept drug smugglers. It has also and sent group of F-35 fighter jets to Peurto Rico.
Additionally, Washington has doubled the reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuela's authoritarian leader, Nicolas Maduro, to up to $50 million. The U.S. Department of Justice says Maduro is involved in international drug trafficking.
