Overview

• Trump said U.S. forces destroyed a small boat in international waters after his order, killing three people with no U.S. casualties, and he posted a 27–30 second strike video that the White House also shared.
• He asserted the vessel came from Venezuela and carried narcotics bound for the United States, later citing floating sacks of cocaine and fentanyl, claims that have not been independently verified.
• The action is the second such strike in roughly two weeks after an earlier attack reportedly killed 11, which Venezuela condemned while disputing U.S. accounts of origin and destination.
• The campaign follows a regional buildup that deployed multiple warships, an attack submarine, thousands of troops, and fighter jets in Puerto Rico for a counternarcotics mission.
• U.S. lawmakers from both parties and human-rights groups questioned the legal basis and oversight of these operations, with senators raising War Powers concerns and Amnesty International warning of potential violations.