Six killed in US strike on alleged drug boat off Venezuela coast — Trump

 The US military conducted another strike on a vessel suspected of drug trafficking off the coast of Venezuela, killing six people on board, President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday. This marks at least the fifth such fatal operation reported by the administration since early September.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, President Trump claimed the vessel was "affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization" and involved in "illicit narcoterrorist networks" transiting a known trafficking route in international waters.

"The strike was conducted in International Waters, and six male narcoterrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike. No U.S. Forces were harmed," he stated, adding that he released an unclassified video of the strike. The President, however, did not name the specific organization or provide evidence to support the assertion.

The strike is likely to intensify tensions with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and fuel continued questions in Washington about the legality of the US campaign.

The administration has defended the strikes, with the Pentagon previously informing Congress that President Trump had determined the US is in an "armed conflict" with drug cartels designated as terrorist organizations, classifying their smugglers as "unlawful combatants."

The administration’s policy has drawn bipartisan unease, with some lawmakers questioning the use of lethal force without due process.

Earlier this month, Republican Senator Rand Paul publicly criticized the strikes and co-sponsored a War Powers resolution which ultimately failed in the Senate that would have required the president to seek congressional authorization for such military actions.

"What a despicable and thoughtless sentiment it is to glorify killing someone without a trial," Paul said previously on X in response to the Vice President's praise of a strike.

Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking at the White House during an event with Argentinian President Javier Milei on Tuesday, referenced the military actions while advocating for economic diplomacy.

"It is much better to form an economic bridge with our allies, people who want to do the right thing, than have to shoot at Narco gun boats," Bessent commented.