According to US President Donald Trump, the US launched a military attack on a ship suspected of transporting drugs off the coast of Venezuela as part of a land crackdown. Speaking on Sunday at Naval Station Norfolk, alongside the aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman, Trump praised the Navy’s actions, calling the targets “cartel terrorists.”
US Strikes Drug Vessel in Venezuelan Waters
Trump stated, “The Navy has supported our mission to blow the cartel terrorists the hell out of the water … we did another one last night,” regarding the recent targeting of another vessel. We simply can’t find any right now. It’s still unclear if he was talking about a Friday attack or another Saturday strike.
In his comments, Trump hinted that future operations would reach land-based Venezuelan territory. He declared, “They’re no longer coming in by sea, so now we’ll have to start looking about the land because they’ll be forced to go by land,” and this marks the start of a land crackdown.
War drums in the Caribbean: armed Venezuelan F-16 jets fly directly over U.S. Navy warship
The US government claims that these strikes target drug traffickers, although independent verification has not confirmed these claims. The announcement shows that the US plans to expand its anti-drug operations from maritime strikes to a land crackdown within Venezuela.
International Response and Russian Condemnation of Land Crackdown Threat
Russia has criticized the strikes, denouncing the US military’s operations against the reportedly drug-carrying vessel. In a phone chat with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil on Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov voiced his alarm over what Moscow called “escalating actions in the Caribbean Sea” that could have regional repercussions.
According to a statement released by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “the Russian side has confirmed its full support and solidarity with the leadership and people of Venezuela in the current context.” Four people were killed when the ship allegedly detonated during the attack.
In an interview with Fox News, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth affirmed that he has “every authorization needed” to carry out strikes on ships off the coast of Venezuela. Hegseth said that the persons on board were “narco-terrorists” and that the target ship was transporting “substantial amounts of narcotics – headed to America to poison our people.”
Hegseth posted a video of the impact, showing a boat navigating the sea before many projectiles struck it and caused it to explode. He did not provide proof to support his allegations that the ship carried drugs, nor did he give precise information about the amount or type of drugs on board. Hegseth emphasized that these operations are part of a broader US campaign, which will include a land crackdown on cartel networks in Venezuela.
Legal Basis and US Military Build-Up Supports Future Land Crackdown
The Trump administration has framed the strikes against drug cartels as part of a “non-international armed conflict.” On Thursday, Trump notified Congress that the US considers members of drug cartels “unlawful combatants,” giving the administration a legal basis to carry out military operations against them.
Trump told reporters that the US military has successfully halted drug trafficking by sea in the Caribbean. “There’s no drugs coming into the water. And we’ll look at what phase two is,” he said, referring to potential future operations, including the planned land crackdown.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly warned that the US intends to destabilize his government. Venezuelan Defense Minister General Vladimir Padrino criticized US operations, calling an “illegal incursion” near the country’s borders a “vulgarity, a provocation, a threat to the security of the nation.”
Venezuela blasts U.S. flotilla as “cannon diplomacy” with warships at its doorstep
Washington has cited several legal justifications for the strikes, including constitutional war powers, the designation of drug cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations,” the right to self-defense, and international law regarding unlawful combatants. Some legal experts and lawmakers, however, argue that using military force in international waters against alleged criminals bypasses due process, challenges established law enforcement norms, and lacks a clear legal foundation.
The strikes represent at least four, possibly five, US attacks against alleged drug trafficking vessels in recent weeks, with at least 21 people reported dead. While the US continues to describe its actions as targeting drug cartels at sea, the announcement of a land crackdown indicates the potential expansion of operations to Venezuelan territory.