The U.S. president said that no U.S. personnel were injured in the action and issued a warning to drug traffickers.
Three people were killed in a U.S. strike on a Venezuelan drug boat, President Donald Trump announced on Sept. 15.
It is the second such strike in less than two weeks.
“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,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
“The Strike occurred while these confirmed narcoterrorists from Venezuela were in International Waters transporting illegal narcotics (A DEADLY WEAPON POISONING AMERICANS!) headed to the U.S.
“These extremely violent drug trafficking cartels POSE A THREAT to U.S. National Security, Foreign Policy, and vital U.S. Interests.”
Trump said that no U.S. forces suffered casualties and issued a warning to drug traffickers.
“IF YOU ARE TRANSPORTING DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS, WE ARE HUNTING YOU! The illicit activities by these cartels have wrought DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES ON AMERICAN COMMUNITIES FOR DECADES, killing millions of American Citizens. NO LONGER,” he wrote.
Trump said there was “recorded evidence” that drugs were on board the boat.
“All you have to do is look at the cargo that was, like, it spattered all over the ocean. Big bags of cocaine and fentanyl all over the place,” he said in the Oval Office after signing an unrelated proclamation.
Trump said that Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine showed him a clip of the operation.
“We know what time they were leaving … what they had, and all of the other things you’d like to have,” he said.
The president acknowledged that drug trafficking is not confined to water routes.
“They do come by land and, you know what, we’re telling the cartels right now we’re going to be stopping them, too,” he said. “When they come by land, we’re going to be stopping them the same way we stopped the boats.”
The earlier operation, which took place on Sept. 2, killed 11 people.
Democrats and some Republicans on Capitol Hill have questioned the rationale of the strikes and their legality.
