US attacks another alleged Venezuelan drug boat, killing three
President Donald Trump announced on social media Monday that the U.S. has attacked and effectively destroyed a second alleged drug boat from Venezuela. The president made the announcement with a video of the attack on social media.
Second attack
Trump said the latest attack happened in international waters and claimed the boat carried illegal narcotics but did not provide any proof.
“This morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a SECOND Kinetic Strike against positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility,” Trump said in his post.
He said three men were killed in the attack.
The video shows the boat stagnant in the water before being hit by a projectile, resulting in an explosion. The boat then catches fire.
“BE WARNED — IF YOU ARE TRANSPORTING DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS, WE ARE HUNTING YOU!” Trump continued. “The illicit activities by these cartels have wrought DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES ON AMERICAN COMMUNITIES FOR DECADES, killing millions of American Citizens. NO LONGER.”
While speaking with reporters, Trump was asked what proof the U.S. had that the vessel had drugs onboard.
“We have proof,” Trump said to outlets including The Associated Press. “All you have to do is look at the cargo that was spattered all over the ocean — big bags of cocaine and fentanyl all over the place.”
The released video, which is grainy and hard to see the specifics, does not show anything in the ocean.
Trump went on to say these strikes against alleged drug traffickers could move from sea to land.
“When they come by land, we’re going to be stopping them the same way we stopped the boats,” Trump said. “But maybe by talking about it a little bit, it won’t happen. If it doesn’t happen, that’s good.”
First attack
This all came on the same day Venezuela accused the U.S. of illegally seizing a fishing boat with a Navy destroyer. That’s the same destroyer that Venezuelan jets recently flew over.
The U.S. reportedly said it was part of a drug search based on a tip, while Venezuela called it a “provocation.”
While announcing that accusation, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro also responded to a similar boat attack from the U.S. on Sept. 2.
Maduro said America violated U.S. and international law when the military blew up a boat, killing 11 people on board. He added the U.S. should have captured the people on the boat instead of killing them if they believed they were drug traffickers.
He called the action an attack on civilians who were not at war.
That operation has also caused a rift between some members of the GOP. The boat had reportedly turned around before the attack after spotting the military aircraft nearby.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
