On Friday, October 3, 2025, the United States military carried out its fourth lethal air strike in just over a month against a boat allegedly trafficking narcotics near the coast of Venezuela. The strike, directed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the order of President Donald Trump, killed all four men aboard the vessel. According to multiple outlets including Reuters, BBC, and CNN, the attack took place in international waters in the Caribbean Sea, part of a rapidly escalating campaign that has sparked international condemnation and raised profound legal and diplomatic questions.
In a post on the social media platform X, Hegseth announced, “Four male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike, and no U.S. forces were harmed in the operation.” He added, “The strike was conducted in international waters just off the coast of Venezuela while the vessel was transporting substantial amounts of narcotics – headed to America to poison our people.” Hegseth also shared a video showing the narrow boat speeding across the waves before being engulfed in flames as a result of the air strike. The dramatic footage, widely circulated online, underscored the administration’s willingness to publicize its military actions in the region.
This latest strike follows three similar U.S. attacks on boats in the Caribbean last month: the first on September 2, which killed 11 people, and two more on September 15 and 19, each resulting in three deaths. In each case, the Trump administration claimed the targeted vessels were narcotics traffickers en route to the United States, though, as Reuters and BBC report, no evidence has been provided to substantiate these claims, and the identities of the deceased remain undisclosed. Despite this, Hegseth insisted, “Our intelligence, without a doubt, confirmed that this vessel was trafficking narcotics, the people onboard were narco-terrorists, and they were operating on a known narco-trafficking transit route.” He pledged, “These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over!!!!”
President Trump himself took to Truth Social to weigh in, asserting that the destroyed boat was “loaded with enough drugs to kill 25 TO 50 THOUSAND PEOPLE.” Again, no supporting evidence was made public. The administration’s rhetoric has been forceful, with Trump labeling Latin American drug cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations” and framing the illicit drug trade as an act of aggression against the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed this stance, stating, “The US would target these groups if we have an opportunity to do it.”
However, the legal justification for these strikes has come under intense scrutiny. Traditionally, U.S. counter-drug operations at sea fall under the jurisdiction of the Coast Guard, not the military. International law, as enshrined in the United Nations Charter, generally prohibits extrajudicial killings outside of combat and does not recognize drug trafficking as an “armed attack” that would justify self-defense. As Reuters notes, some former military lawyers argue that the administration’s explanations “fail to satisfy requirements under the law of war.” Brian Finucane, a former State Department lawyer, told CNN, “They’re throwing a lot of words out there that don’t necessarily go together or constitute a coherent legal justification.”
The Trump administration has sought to bolster its case with a confidential memo to Congress, asserting that the United States is now engaged in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels, which it labels as “unlawful combatants.” This designation, typically reserved for internal conflicts such as civil wars, is being used to justify the use of lethal military force against suspected traffickers at sea. The Pentagon’s letter to Congress, reported by CNN and BBC, suggests that these attacks are part of a longer-term campaign, not just isolated acts of self-defense.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the strikes, arguing they fall under the president’s “constitutional authority as commander-in-chief.” She stated, “As the White House has said many times, the president has directed these actions, these strikes, against Venezuelan drug cartels and these boats, consistent with his responsibility to protect the United States’ interests abroad.”
Yet, the administration’s aggressive approach has drawn sharp criticism from legal experts, human rights advocates, and lawmakers across the political spectrum. Tess Bridgeman, a visiting scholar at New York University’s law school, posted on BlueSky, “Four more people were killed this morning. Trump has offered no definition or limiting principle for who can be labeled a ‘terrorist’ and summarily killed. If it can happen at sea, it can happen anywhere.”
International reaction has been swift and severe. Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry has repeatedly condemned the strikes, with President Nicolás Maduro warning that his country will defend itself against U.S. “aggression.” Maduro announced preparations to declare a state of emergency to protect Venezuela from possible U.S. military attacks, a move that could further escalate tensions in the already volatile region. Colombia and other Latin American countries have also criticized the U.S. actions, and legal scholars worldwide have described the strikes as breaches of international law.
The military buildup in the Caribbean is unmistakable. According to Reuters, the U.S. has deployed F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico, stationed eight warships in the region, and positioned a nuclear-powered submarine nearby. This show of force, coupled with the administration’s rhetoric, has alarmed observers who fear a broader conflict could erupt.
Domestically, the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to justify military action against cartels has faced setbacks in court. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that the law was “improperly invoked” in this context, finding no credible evidence that “an invasion or a predatory incursion has occurred.” Despite this, reports surfaced in August that Trump had secretly signed an order authorizing the use of military force against the cartels, a move confirmed by Secretary Rubio.
As the United States continues its campaign of air strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, the debate over legality, morality, and effectiveness intensifies. The administration’s strategy of framing drug trafficking as an act of war has upended long-standing norms and raised the stakes for all involved. With tensions mounting and no sign of de-escalation, the world watches closely to see what comes next in this high-stakes confrontation on the high seas.
The events of October 3 have not only reignited international debate over the limits of military power and the definition of self-defense, but also left the region bracing for further conflict as both sides harden their positions.
