Why it matters:
The attack marks the fourth in less than a week and highlights Washington’s expanding military operations in the Caribbean and Latin American waters under the pretext of countering “narco-trafficking.” Caracas has condemned the strikes as violations of international law and acts of aggression against Venezuelan nationals.
The big picture:
The US began a major naval buildup near Venezuelan waters in August, deploying destroyers, nuclear submarines, anti-submarine aircraft, and F-35 fighter squadrons.
American forces have since attacked multiple vessels, killing dozens of Venezuelans, according to regional reports.
Washington insists the vessels were “drug-smuggling boats,” an accusation Venezuelan officials reject as fabricated to justify military escalation.
What they’re saying:
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on X that the newly rebranded “Department of War” had “carried out a lethal kinetic strike on yet another narco-trafficking vessel.”
Hegseth claimed the ship was “operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization” and that intelligence showed it was “carrying narcotics along a known trafficking route.”
No independent verification of these claims has been provided, and no evidence of narcotics has been released.
None of the four victims have been identified, and US officials did not confirm their nationalities.
Go deeper:
The latest strike took place as US President Donald Trump concluded a trip to Asia, where he met Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea — their first meeting since 2019.
U.S. Bomber Flights Near Venezuela Signal Escalating Pressure Amid Oil Interests
Mojtaba Darabi - seyed mohammad kazemi
