President Donald Trump has stated that US forces carried out a 'lethal kinetic strike' on a vessel which he alleged was trafficking drugs, killing three 'male narcoterrorists' on board.
According to Trump, he ordered the attack based on US intelligence confirming the boat's involvement in drug trafficking. This operation marks the third assault on alleged drug boats in recent weeks.
Trump's post on Truth Social, issued on Friday, announced that the attack took place in international waters. The US Southern Command oversees a significant area spanning South America and the Caribbean.
Previously, two strikes resulted in the deaths of a combined total of 14 individuals purportedly on boats originating from Venezuela.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has publicly condemned these strikes, claiming they represent an act of US aggression against his country.
Trump's Friday statement closely mirrored prior communications regarding the strikes and included a video showing the vessel before and after the attack.
He remarked, 'On my orders, the Secretary of War ordered a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization conducting narcotrafficking in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility.' He added that the vessel was transiting known narcotrafficking routes and posed a threat to American society by distributing illicit narcotics.
'No U.S. Forces were harmed in this strike. STOP SELLING FENTANYL, NARCOTICS, AND ILLEGAL DRUGS IN AMERICA, AND COMMITTING VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM AGAINST AMERICANS!!!'
Legal experts have previously analyzed the implications of the first strike, suggesting it could potentially violate international human rights and maritime law.
