President Donald Trump announced Monday the U.S. military stuck a second boat he says was carrying drugs off the coast of Venezuela.
In a message on social media, the president said the strike killed three people.
"The Strike occurred while these confirmed narcoterrorists from Venezuela were in International Waters transporting illegal narcotics (A DEADLY WEAPON POISONING AMERICANS!) headed to the U.S. These extremely violent drug trafficking cartels POSE A THREAT to U.S. National Security, Foreign Policy and vital U.S. Interests," President Trump wrote.
President Trump's message warned that the U.S. continues to hunt drug traffickers, as his administration seeks to curb the effects of the drug trade on American communities.
Unclassified video of the strike shows an aerial view of an unidentified boat floating on the water. The video later cuts to footage showing a gout of flame and smoke and tracks the same boat, now on fire.
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This is the second such strike against an alleged drug boat, potentially increasing tensions in a region where the U.S. has sought to clamp down on drug trafficking.
Early in September, U.S. forces sank a boat and killed 11 people aboard, who President Trump identified as members of the Tren de Aragua terror organization.
In August, three U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers were deployed off the coast of Venezuela. A source familiar with the move confirmed to Scripps News that the destroyers include the USS Gravely, the USS Jason Dunham and the USS Sampson.
Some lawmakers, including both Democratic and Republican senators, have questioned the Trump administration's use of force and legal standing to deploy military forces in such a manner.
