‘We are hunting you’: Trump issues warning to Venezuelan cartels following latest US drug strike

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday confirmed that American forces carried out a second military strike targeting what was described as a narcotics-laden boat traveling from Venezuela through international waters. According to Trump, the operation killed three men aboard the vessel, while no US personnel sustained injuries.

The two-time US President made the announcement on Truth Social, warning drug traffickers against smuggling narcotics into the United States. “If you are transporting drugs that can kill Americans, we are hunting you,” he wrote.

“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," he added in his post which also carried a footage of the strike.

This latest strike comes just two weeks after a previous US military action against another suspected Venezuelan drug boat, which reportedly resulted in 11 deaths. The Trump administration has described these actions as part of a broader effort to disrupt the flow of narcotics into American communities, portraying them as threats to national security and foreign policy interests.

Meanwhile, according to an AP report, the Republican told reporters at the Oval Office that the strikes that are currently restricted to the seas, might be stretched to land in the future.

“We’re telling the cartels right now we’re going to be stopping them, too,” Trump said. “When they come by land we’re going to be stopping them the same way we stopped the boats. ... But maybe by talking about it a little bit, it won’t happen. If it doesn’t happen that’s good.”

Maduro vs Trump

The strikes have further strained relations between Washington and Caracas.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro denounced the operations as thinly veiled attempts at regime change. Speaking at a press conference, he accused US leaders of fabricating pretexts for military escalation.

Maduro also mocked reports of a recent US raid on a Venezuelan fishing boat.

“What were they looking for? Tuna? A kilo of snapper?” he asked, claiming the operation was intended to provoke a clash. “If the tuna fishing boys had any kind of weapons and used them while in Venezuelan jurisdiction, it would have been the military incident that the warmongers are seeking.”

Maduro directly attacked Rubio, calling him the “lord of death and war” for his aggressive rhetoric. Rubio, in turn, told Fox News that the US does not recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, describing him instead as the head of a drug cartel masquerading as a government.

Legal queries

The escalating operations have triggered significant debate in Congress.

AP has reported that lawmakers from both parties — including some Republicans — have questioned whether the president has the authority to use the military in what they argue are essentially law enforcement missions.

Democratic Senator Adam Schiff of California said he is preparing a war powers resolution to block further strikes unless formally approved by Congress. “These lawless killings are just putting us at risk,” Schiff warned, suggesting the strikes could provoke retaliation against US forces. “I don’t want to see us get into some war with Venezuela because the president is just blowing ships willy-nilly out of the water.”

Human rights organizations have echoed those concerns.

Amnesty International USA called the operations potentially unlawful under international law, describing them as possible extrajudicial executions. “There is absolutely no legal justification for this military strike,” Daphne Eviatar, who leads the group’s Security with Human Rights Program, told the American news agency.