US military strikes narco‑trafficking vessel off Venezuela coast, killing 4: Hegseth

The US military on Friday launched another strike on a drug trafficking boat in the Caribbean, killing all four individuals on board, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced in a post on social media.

Described as a “narco-trafficking vessel”, the boat was the latest target in a string of US operations in the region.

This marks at least the fourth known strike in the Caribbean since early September, all aimed at vessels the administration says are linked to drug cartels recently designated as terrorist organisations.

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

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Taking to X, Hegseth wrote, “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 strike, and no U.S. forces were harmed in the operation. The strike 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.”

“Our intelligence, without a doubt, confirmed that this vessel was trafficking narcotics, the people onboard were narco-terrorists, and they were operating on a known narco-trafficking transit route. These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over!!!!’, he added.

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On Tuesday, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had said that he is preparing to declare a state of emergency to protect his country in the event of an attack by the US military.

The Trump administration has previously defended its military strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats by arguing they were en route to the United States, requiring immediate action.

However, CNN reported that at least one vessel targeted last month had already turned away before being hit — raising questions about whether it posed an imminent threat to the US or its forces.

After the first strike on September 2, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the boat was likely headed toward Trinidad or elsewhere in the Caribbean.

The legality of these strikes has come under scrutiny from legal experts and lawmakers across party lines.

According to a CNN report, the Pentagon informed Congress this week that President Trump has determined the US is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels designated as terrorist groups, and that their smugglers qualify as “unlawful combatants.”

Framing the strikes as part of an armed conflict signals a broader, potentially long-term military campaign rather than isolated acts of self-defence.

In a post on X on Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote: “These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over!!!”

With inputs from agencies