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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on Friday the U.S. military conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a narco-trafficking vessel affiliated with Designated Terrorist Organizations traveling off the coast of Venezuela, killing four men aboard.
No U.S. forces were harmed in the USSOUTHCOM operation, which was ordered by President Donald Trump, according to Hegseth.
“The strike was conducted in international waters just off the coast of Venezuela while the vessel was transporting substantial amounts of narcotics – headed to America to poison our people,” Hegseth wrote in an X post.
TRUMP ORDERS ‘LETHAL KINETIC STRIKE’ ON DRUG TRAFFICKING BOAT IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS, THREE KILLED

Multiple suspected narco-terrorists were killed Friday after a kinetic strike directed by President Donald Trump. (@SecWar via X)
The secretary said military intelligence, “without a doubt,” confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, the people onboard were narco-terrorists, and they were operating on a known narco-trafficking transit route.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the boat was “loaded with enough drugs to kill 25 TO 50 THOUSAND PEOPLE.”
Hegseth noted the strikes will continue “until the attacks on the American people are over!!!!”
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This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates.