Trump Administration Confirms Four Narco-Terrorists Killed in Caribbean Strike

The Trump administration announced Friday that U.S. forces carried out a precision strike against a drug-smuggling vessel operating off the coast of Venezuela, eliminating four individuals identified by the Pentagon as “narco-terrorists.”

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed the operation in a briefing, noting that the strike was part of a broader campaign ordered by President Donald J. Trump to dismantle transnational drug cartels threatening American communities.

“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 on X (formerly Twitter).

“Our intelligence, without a doubt, confirmed that this vessel was trafficking narcotics, the people onboard were narco-terrorists, and they were operating on a known narco-trafficking transit route,” he said. “These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over!!!!”

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Trump Declares Armed Conflict with Cartels

The strike follows President Trump’s formal notification to Congress that the United States is now engaged in armed hostilities with international drug cartels. According to a memo obtained by the Washington Times, Trump officially classified cartel members and associates as unlawful combatants—a wartime designation allowing U.S. forces to target them militarily under the laws of armed conflict.

“The President determined that the United States is in a non-international armed conflict with these designated terrorist organizations,” the memo states. “The United States has now reached a critical point where we must use force in self-defense and defense of others against the ongoing attacks by these designated terrorist organizations.”

This move, according to administration officials, grants expanded authority to detain captured cartel operatives indefinitely and prosecute them in military tribunals.

Escalation in the Caribbean

Friday’s operation was at least the fourth in recent months targeting narco-trafficking vessels in international waters. U.S. officials argue the missions are vital to cutting off the flow of deadly drugs from Venezuela and preventing cartel influence from reaching American shores.

Critics, however, claim the strikes blur legal boundaries and could heighten tensions with Venezuela’s socialist regime under Nicolás Maduro, which has condemned U.S. military activity in the region.

Despite the objections, Trump’s administration maintains the actions are both lawful and necessary. By treating cartel networks as terrorist organizations comparable to al-Qaeda, officials say the United States can now respond decisively to threats that have long undermined national security.

Supporters Hail Bold Action

Supporters of the President’s move say it marks a turning point in the global fight against narcotics. Hegseth, echoing the administration’s resolve, said the policy will continue until every cartel route targeting the U.S. is dismantled.

Critics like Matthew Waxman, a former Bush administration official, argue the new approach stretches the limits of international law.

“It means the United States can target members of those cartels with lethal force. It means the United States can capture and detain them without trial,” Waxman told the Associated Press.

Even so, many conservatives view the escalation as long overdue. After decades of half-measures and bureaucratic inertia, the Trump administration is taking the fight directly to the cartels—on their turf.