Trump announces second U.S. military strike on drug cartels in escalating war with Venezuela

Less than 24 hours after warning he might strike again, President Donald Trump followed through — launching a fresh military assault on a vessel in the Caribbean he claimed was carrying Venezuelan drug traffickers.

Trump writing on Truth Social said that three ‘narcoterrorists’ from Venezuela were killed this morning.

‘On my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a SECOND Kinetic Strike against positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists,’ Trump said on his Truth Social.

The president emphasized in his post that the ‘narcoterrorists’ were operating in international waters while transporting illegal drugs bound for the United States.

He went on to describe the trafficked narcotics as a ‘deadly weapon’ responsible for poisoning American citizens. He labeled the cartels involved as ‘extremely violent’ threats to U.S. national security.

According to the president, the strike resulted in the deaths of three male individuals he identified as terrorists, with no casualties among U.S. personnel.

He also issued a grim warning to drug traffickers, making note that the U.S. is actively pursuing those involved in narcotics smuggling that endangers American lives.

This follows the initial attack in early September, when the president said 11 people were killed in a targeted strike by U.S. Navy forces on another boat that drug traffickers reportedly used.

This new attack follows the initial one in early September, when the president said 11 people were killed in a targeted strike by U.S. Navy forces on another boat that drug traffickers reportedly used

Less than 24 hours after warning he might strike again, President Donald Trump followed through — launching a fresh military assault on a vessel in the Caribbean he claimed was carrying Venezuelan drug traffickers

According to the president, the strike resulted in the deaths of three male individuals he identified as terrorists, with no casualties among U.S. personnel

The White House said the boat carried ‘massive amounts of drugs coming into our country to kill a lot of people.’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the initial strike, joined by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said they ‘knew exactly what they were doing and who they represented.’

This move raised questions surrounding whether the administration had violated international law.

A source familiar with the operation told Daily Mail that the U.S. ‘did not even know if there were drugs on the boat’ — contradicting official statements. The strike was designed to ‘illicit a response from Maduro and provoke him’ to ‘show his true colors,’ but he didn’t take the bait.

The Trump administration has yet to offer proof the targeted vessel was carrying drugs.