The War Department released new footage Friday showing a precision strike on a drug-trafficking boat off the coast of Venezuela.
President Donald Trump has authorized multiple airstrikes on speedboats manned by Tren de Aragua gang members. The group has been designated a foreign terrorist organization due to ties with the Venezuelan government.
Trump has signaled that these operations will intensify.
“Earlier this morning, on President Trump’s orders, I directed a lethal, kinetic strike on a narco-trafficking vessel affiliated with Designated Terrorist Organizations in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility,” Secretary Hegseth said on social media Friday.
The strike killed four narco-terrorists. No U.S. forces were harmed in the operation.
“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 said.
“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 added.
“These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over!!!!”
Hegseth posted overhead drone footage of the operation.
The video shows a semi-submersible boat, often called a “narco submarine,” per Trending Politics.
The boats ride low in the water, making them difficult to detect. Only a small portion of the vessel is visible above the surface.
A single strike from an overhead drone hit the boat, resulting in a massive fireball.
Friday’s strike is at least the fifth targeting drug-trafficking vessels linked to the Venezuelan government since September 2.
The total number of people killed in these strikes now stands at 24.
The strategy marks a massive shift in U.S. foreign policy. Drug cartels are now being designated and treated as foreign terrorist organizations under the Trump Administration.
A White House memo sent to Congress this week outlined the reasoning.
“The President directed these actions consistent with his responsibility to protect Americans and United States interests abroad and in furtherance of United States national security and foreign policy interests, pursuant to his constitutional authority as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive to conduct foreign relations,” the memo states.
Conservative commentators reacted to the viral strike footage on X, pointing out the major implications that such an attack had on the U.S.
“Another drug boat headed for America, loaded with enough drugs to kill 25-50,000 people, was blown up by the U.S. military early this morning off the coast of Venezuela. The American people voted for this. WINNING!” one user wrote.
According to reports, the four individuals who were aboard the boat carrying the drugs were killed in the strike.
