In a bold move against drug trafficking, President Donald Trump announced on Friday via Truth Social that he had ordered a lethal military strike on a vessel in international waters, resulting in the deaths of three individuals linked to a designated terrorist organization, Fox News reported.
The strike, which occurred in the U.S. Southern Command area, is part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration to combat narcotrafficking and narco-terrorism targeting the United States.
Earlier this year, in February, the Trump administration took a significant step by designating several drug cartels, including Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel, as foreign terrorist organizations.
This designation paved the way for intensified military actions against groups involved in the drug trade threatening American safety.
Throughout the month, the U.S. military has been active in the region, with a notable operation earlier this month destroying a Venezuelan drug boat in the southern Caribbean.
That strike reportedly resulted in the deaths of nearly a dozen suspected Tren de Aragua members identified as narco-terrorists.
On Monday, Trump revealed on Truth Social that he had ordered another military operation targeting violent drug trafficking groups in the U.S. Southern Command area.
He stated, "This morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a SECOND Kinetic Strike against positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility."
This operation underscored the administration’s ongoing commitment to disrupting illegal drug networks in the region.
The most recent incident, announced on Friday, involved a vessel confirmed by intelligence to be transporting illicit narcotics along a well-known trafficking route toward the United States.
Trump shared on Truth Social, "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, "Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking illicit narcotics, and was transiting along a known narcotrafficking passage en route to poison Americans."
Continuing his statement, Trump noted, "The strike killed 3 male narcoterrorists aboard the vessel, which was in international waters."
He also emphasized, "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!!!"
The operation’s success without American casualties highlights the precision of U.S. military efforts, while the accompanying video Trump shared showed the vessel being hit and consumed by flames, serving as a stark visual of the administration’s resolve to tackle drug trafficking head-on.
