U.S. conducts fourth strike on boat it claims was trafficking drugs near Venezuela

The Pentagon carried out a fourth strike on what Defense Secretary Hegseth said was a boat carrying drugs off the coast of Venezuela, killing four individuals.

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon carried out Friday another lethal strike on what Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said was a boat carrying drugs off the coast of Venezuela. Four individuals were killed.

Hegseth said on X that the strike occurred Friday morning on a “narco-trafficking vessel” that U.S. intelligence indicated was affiliated with a designated terrorist organization.

“Four male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike and no U.S. forces were harmed in the operation,” Hegseth wrote.

The strike is the fourth known U.S. attack against what the Trump administration says are narco-terrorists smuggling drugs. With this attack, American forces have now killed 21 individuals in four vessels in international waters over the last several weeks, according to administration officials.

Democratic lawmakers, as well as some Republicans, say the Trump administration has not provided a proper legal rationale for the strikes.