US Military Strike Against Alleged Venezuelan Drug Vessel Claims Three Lives

Tue Sep 16 2025 01:42:41 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In a recent military operation, the US has destroyed an alleged drug trafficking boat linked to Venezuela, resulting in the deaths of three individuals. This incident follows heightened tensions between the US and Venezuela, with both nations exchanging accusations.

President Donald Trump announced the destruction of an alleged Venezuelan drug vessel by US military forces, which resulted in the death of three men. The Venezuelan government has condemned the action as an act of aggression, with heightened tensions continuing to escalate between the two nations. Maduro has accused the US of plotting regime change and has vowed to defend Venezuela's sovereignty.

President Donald Trump says the US military has destroyed an alleged Venezuelan drug vessel travelling in international waters on the way to the US.

Trump said on Monday that three men were killed in the attack on 'violent drug trafficking cartels'. He provided no evidence that the boat was carrying drugs.

Shortly before, his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolás Maduro said Caracas would defend itself against US 'aggression', calling America's top diplomat Marco Rubio the 'lord of death and war'.

Tensions between the two countries escalated after the US deployed warships to the southern Caribbean on what officials said were counter-narcotics operations, carrying out a strike that killed 11 people.

'This morning, on my orders, US military forces conducted a second kinetic strike against positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists,' Trump said.

'These extremely violent drug trafficking cartels pose a threat to US national security.'

The post also included a nearly 30-second video, which appeared to show a vessel in a body of water exploding and then on fire.

Rubio defended the initial attack on a boat said to be carrying drugs from Venezuela, which killed all 11 people on board, saying 'what needs to start happening is some of these boats need to get blown up.'

During an interview on Fox News, the US Secretary of State stated that Maduro represented 'a direct threat to the national security' of the US due to his alleged involvement in drug trafficking.

Later, Maduro condemned US threats, stating that relations with the US had deteriorated significantly.

The Venezuelan president declared that the government would 'fully' exercise its 'legitimate right to defend itself'.

Legal experts previously indicated that the fatal strike on the first vessel may have violated international human rights and maritime law.

After a brief lull, tensions increased again when the Venezuelan Foreign Minister accused US forces of boarding a Venezuelan vessel illegally.

Maduro has called on Venezuelans to enlist in the militia, adding pressure on public sector workers to join.