Trump says US struck another alleged Venezuelan drug vessel, killing three

President Donald Trump said connected Monday that the U.S. subject carried retired a onslaught connected an alleged Venezuelan drug cartel vas heading to the United States, the second specified strike carried retired against a suspected cause vessel successful caller weeks.

He said 3 men were killed successful the strike, adding that it occurred successful planetary waters. Trump provided nary grounds for his assertion that the vessel was carrying drugs.

"This morning, connected my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a SECOND Kinetic Strike against positively identified, extraordinarily convulsive cause trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists successful the SOUTHCOM country of responsibility," Trump said successful a station connected Truth Social.

"These highly convulsive cause trafficking cartels POSE A THREAT to U.S. National Security, Foreign Policy, and captious U.S. Interests," Trump said. U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) is the military's combatant bid that encompasses 31 countries done South and Central America and the Caribbean.

The station besides included a astir 30-second video, with markings of "Unclassified" connected the top, which appeared to amusement a vas successful a assemblage of h2o exploding and past connected fire.

Later connected Monday, Trump said that "we person proof, each you person to bash is look astatine the cargo that was ... spattered each implicit the ocean, large bags of cocaine and fentanyl."

Reuters conducted archetypal checks connected the video with an AI detection tool, but the video was partially blurred, making it intolerable to corroborate if the video was manipulated.

However, thorough verification is an ongoing process, and Reuters volition proceed to reappraisal the footage arsenic much accusation becomes available.

The Venezuelan communications ministry did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

The latest onslaught comes amid a ample U.S. subject buildup successful the confederate Caribbean. Five U.S. F-35 craft were seen landing successful Puerto Rico on Saturday aft the Trump medication ordered 10 of the stealth fighters to articulation the buildup.

There are besides astatine slightest 7 U.S. warships successful the region, on with 1 nuclear-powered submarine.

Trump, speaking with reporters connected Monday, suggested operations could beryllium carried retired connected onshore against suspected cause smugglers.

"When they travel by land, we're going to beryllium stopping them the aforesaid mode we stopped the boats," Trump said. "But possibly by talking astir it a small bit, it won't happen."

Earlier this month, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told sailors and Marines connected a warship disconnected Puerto Rico that they were not deployed to the Caribbean for grooming but alternatively sent to the "front lines" of a captious counter-narcotics mission.

On Monday, Hegseth, successful a station connected X, suggested an expansive ngo for the U.S. subject against cause traffickers: "We volition way them, termination them, and dismantle their networks passim our hemisphere — astatine the times and places of our choosing."

Trump has ordered the Department of Defense to rename itself the Department of War, a alteration that volition necessitate enactment by Congress. The caller sanction would use to Hegseth arsenic well, altering his rubric to "Secretary of War."

Hours earlier Trump's post, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that caller incidents betwixt his state and the United States were an "aggression" by the U.S. and that communications betwixt the 2 governments had mostly ended.

The Trump medication has provided scant accusation astir the first strike on September 2, contempt demands from U.S. lawmakers that the authorities warrant the action. It has alleged that those connected committee were members of the Venezuelan pack Tren de Aragua and that 11 radical were killed.

The Pentagon has not publically said what benignant of drugs the vessel was carrying oregon however much, oregon adjacent what benignant of weapons were utilized to transportation retired the strike.

U.S. officials, speaking connected information of anonymity, person told Reuters that the vessel deed connected September 2 appeared to beryllium turning astir erstwhile it was hit, a information that has raised questions among immoderate ineligible experts astir the legality of the strike.

Trump shared a video astatine the clip of that archetypal onslaught that appeared to amusement a speedboat exploding astatine sea. A Venezuelan official aboriginal suggested that the video was created with artificial intelligence.

A Reuters reappraisal of that video's ocular elements utilizing a manipulation detection instrumentality did not amusement grounds of manipulation.

The Venezuelan government, which says it has deployed tens of thousands of troops to combat cause trafficking and support the country, has said nary of the radical killed successful the archetypal onslaught belonged to Tren de Aragua.

Maduro has repeatedly alleged the U.S. is hoping to thrust him from power.

Last month, the United States doubled its reward for accusation starring to the apprehension of Maduro to $50 million, accusing him of links to cause trafficking and transgression groups.

The determination to stroke up a suspected cause vas alternatively of seizing the vas and apprehending its unit is highly unusual.

Under the Constitution, the powerfulness to state warfare belongs to Congress, but the president is the commander-in-chief of the equipped forces and presidents of some parties person conducted subject strikes overseas without legislature approval.