US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the military had conducted a lethal strike on a Venezuelan vessel in the Caribbean, targeting alleged “narcoterrorists.” The operation, which Trump said killed 11 people, appears to be the first time his administration has used deadly force against drug trafficking groups in Latin America.
Trump has previously ordered certain drug cartels — including five Mexican syndicates — to be designated as foreign terrorist organizations, and last month signed a Pentagon directive initiating the use of military force against drug trafficking groups.
The strike marks an escalation in Washington’s feud with Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, The Washington Post wrote, with the US accusing him of being one the world’s “most powerful drug traffickers” and offering a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest.