U.S. Navy Destroys Another Suspected Drug boat in Caribbean, Resulting in Three Deaths
CARACAS, Venezuela - The U.S. military struck another vessel in the Caribbean Sea, resulting in the deaths of three individuals, U.S. officials confirmed Wednesday. the incident marks the latest in a series of engagements targeting suspected drug trafficking boats as part of a campaign initiated in September.
The Trump administration has aggressively pursued a strategy of linking Venezuelan President nicolás Maduro to the drug trade, simultaneously increasing its military presence near Caracas. While Venezuela is not a primary source of cocaine for the U.S. market, officials have sought to justify the naval operations under the premise of disrupting drug trafficking.However, the administration has yet to provide public evidence of narcotics found on the targeted boats or direct ties to drug cartels.
During a Wednesday briefing to lawmakers, administration officials stated the U.S. currently has no plans for strikes within Venezuela and lacks a legal justification for attacks on land targets, CNN previously reported. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Sebastian Hegseth, and a White House Office of Legal Counsel official conducted the briefing.
sources familiar with the session revealed that a Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel opinion authorizing strikes against suspected drug boats does not extend to attacks inside Venezuela or other territories. The “execute order” initiating the military campaign against suspected drug boats in September also does not authorize targeting land-based locations, officials said. While future actions were not explicitly ruled out, the current authorization remains limited to maritime targets.
