US strike on alleged drug boat off Venezuela kills six, Trump says
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US President Donald Trump said the boat was 'associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks' without providing evidence.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WASHINGTON - A US strike on a boat off the coast of Venezuela on Oct 14 killed six suspected drug traffickers, US President Donald Trump said, the latest such operation in recent weeks as the US builds up military forces in the region.
The strike is the most recent example of Mr Trump’s efforts to use US military power in new, and often legally contentious, ways, from deploying active-duty US troops in Los Angeles
In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said the strike had been carried out against a designated terrorist organisation, but he did not provide any details on which group.
“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, was associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks,” Mr Trump said, without providing evidence.
A roughly 30-second video, which Mr Trump posted, appeared to show a stationary vessel in a body of water being hit with a projectile before exploding.
The Pentagon recently disclosed to Congress that Mr Trump has determined the United States is engaged in “a non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels.
Some former military lawyers say the legal explanations given by the Trump administration for killing suspected drug traffickers at sea instead of apprehending them fail to satisfy requirements under the law of war.
A large US military build-up is taking place in the southern Caribbean. In addition to F-35 aircraft in Puerto Rico, there are eight US warships in the region, carrying thousands of sailors and marines, and one nuclear-powered submarine.
The Trump administration has provided scant information on the previous strikes, including the identities of those killed or details about the cargo.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly alleged that the US is hoping to drive him from power. Washington in August doubled its reward for information leading to Mr Maduro’s arrest to US$50 million (S$65 million), accusing him of links to drug trafficking and criminal groups that Mr Maduro denies. REUTERS
