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US Launches Strikes on Venezuelan Boats in Narcotics Trafficking Operation

Boats and Planes

Business Honor
19 September, 2025

Venezuelan boats targeted by US military in fight against illegal drug trade and national security threats.

The United States launched consecutive military attacks on ships said to be carrying narcotics from Venezuela, heightening tensions in the region. In a Monday attack, a U.S. attack killed three individuals on a boat in international waters. The U.S. government says the ship was involved in a drug-trafficking operation carrying illegal drugs headed to the United States. This military operation is two weeks after a comparable attack on a speedboat that killed 11 people. President Donald Trump branded the boat operators as "narcoterrorists" who are engaged in the illicit drug trade, which he claims is poisoning Americans. President Trump, in a posting on Truth Social, posted a video of a ship exploding and burning after the attack, highlighting the extent of the operation.

The United States government defends these strikes on the grounds that they are a measure necessary to prevent the inflow of drugs into the country. Some members of the U.S. Congress have questioned the legality of the strikes. They indicate that employing the use of the military in enforcing the law could be an infringement on executive authority. Senator Marco Rubio, defending the strikes, highlighted the imperative of taking robust measures to counter the threat posed by drug cartels, citing that cartels threatened the United States national security. Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro criticized the U.S. military actions, referring to them as acts of aggression. He also panned U.S. Senator Rubio, labeling him the "lord of death and war." As events develop, tensions between Venezuela and the U.S. remain heightened, both sides refusing to budge. The application of the use of military power against cocaine-trafficking ships reflects increasing disagreement over narcotics control and national security matters.