Overview

• Trump said the operation occurred in international waters just off the Venezuelan coast and resulted in no U.S. casualties.
• He posted a video showing an aerial munition striking a small vessel that then explodes.
• The president described those killed as six male "drug terrorists" and said intelligence linked the boat to smuggling networks.
• Recent reporting says U.S. forces have repeatedly targeted suspected smuggling boats in the Caribbean in recent weeks, with more than 20 people reported dead.
• U.S. media have reported a policy shift framing cartels as unlawful combatants and, according to the New York Times, designating some as terrorist organizations.