US strikes another vessel off Venezuela coast, killing six

President Donald Trump said the United States attacked another ship off the coast of Venezuela, killing six people.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the ship belonged to “narco terrorists” and was “trafficking narcotics.”

This is the Trump administration’s fifth attack since September on a boat accused of drug smuggling in international waters. A total of 27 people were reported dead, but the US did not provide evidence or details about the identities of the ships or their occupants.

While some lawyers accused the United States of violating international law, neighboring countries such as Colombia and Venezuela also condemned the attacks.

“Intelligence confirmed the ship was smuggling drugs, was affiliated with illicit narco-terrorist networks, and was transiting a known route for smuggling,” Trump said in the Truth Social post.

He also released an aerial surveillance video showing a small boat on the water that was hit by a missile and exploded.

Trump did not specify the nationality of the people on the ship or which drug trafficking organization they are suspected of belonging to. He added that no US military personnel were injured.

The strike follows a recent leaked memo to Congress and reported by US media stating that the administration has determined that the US is in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels.

The United States has positioned its attacks on alleged drug-smuggling ships as self-defense, although many lawyers have questioned their legality.