Narcotics Boat Goes BOOM

Diya Ravi

September 19, 2025

On Friday, President Donald Trump announced that the US military had carried out its third fatal strike this month. It was against what officials describe as a smuggling narcotics boat that is linked to a terrorist group. 

Trump said, in a social media post, that “the operation destroyed a vessel affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization. They conduct narcotrafficking in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility.” On board, the strike killed three individuals, although details about the exact location of the incident haven’t been provided yet. 

Intelligence has indicated that the vessel was trafficking illicit drugs and traveling along a known smuggling route. “The boat was en route to poison Americans,” he wrote, framing the strike as part of his administration’s efforts to block narcotics from reaching the US. 

Trump also released footage of the attack. The clip shows a speedboat racing through the open waters before it is struck by missiles from above. “It was at this moment that the narcoterrorists knew they screwed up,” said White House communications director Steven Cheung.

In recent weeks, the administration has escalated military operations in the Caribbean and surrounding regions. They have described the approach as necessary to counter not only drug cartels but also terrorist organizations. Earlier this week, Trump stated that the US struck another vessel that was carrying drugs, allegedly from Venezuela, and the attack killed three. On September 2, an initial strike targeted a speedboat said to be operated by the Tren de Aragua gang — a group that the U.S. designated as a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year. That attack killed 11 people.

Lawmakers from both parties, along with human rights advocates, are questioning the legality of the strikes, while the White House continues to defend these actions, saying it is critical to national security. Critics debate that the US military is being used for law enforcement purposes, a role typically reserved for civilian agencies like the Coast Guard or Drug Enforcement. While the White House defends the actions as critical to national security, lawmakers from both parties, along with human rights advocates, are questioning the legality of the strikes. They also state that the administration has not fully explained how it confirms the presence of drugs or terrorist ties before launching attacks.

Tensions have heightened with Venezuela due to these strikes. President Nicolás Maduro has accused the US of using drug enforcement as a pretext for military aggression. Initially, Maduro dismissed Trump’s released video as AI generated, claiming a boat of that size could not operate on high seas. He accused Washington of pursuing intimidation and regime change under the cover of counternarcotics operations more recently. 

The situation underscores a dramatic shift in U.S. policy toward drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere, as the Trump administration increasingly turns to military power to combat narcotics smuggling — a move that supporters describe as tough action but opponents warn could set a dangerous precedent.