Politics Foreign Affairs Culture Fellows Program

U.S. Military Strikes Another Venezuelan Boat

State of the Union: The vessel was being used for cartel activities, President Trump said.
Miami,,Florida,-,August,19,,2019:,The,Amazing,Jet,Flying
JJW Photography/Shutterstock
Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player...

The U.S. military conducted an airstrike on a Venezuelan craft that was reportedly being used by cartels, according to a post on Truth Social from President Donald Trump: 

This morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a SECOND Kinetic Strike against positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility. 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. The Strike resulted in 3 male terrorists killed in action. No U.S. Forces were harmed in this Strike.

This is the second airstrike on an alleged Venezuelan drug-smuggling boat conducted by American military forces in the past month. The previous strike reportedly killed 11 crew members on a boat headed into the Caribbean Sea. 

The Trump administration has recently deployed an unusual quantity of military assets in the region, including three destroyers, an attack submarine, and an Amphibious Ready Group, along with air assets, as part of an operation to crack down on cartels and drug trafficking from Venezuela—a move that has raised significant tensions with the Venezuelan government.

×

Donate to The American Conservative Today

This is not a paywall!

Your support helps us continue our mission of providing thoughtful, independent journalism. With your contribution, we can maintain our commitment to principled reporting on the issues that matter most.

Donate Today:

Donate to The American Conservative Today