On Sept. 2, the United States struck a vessel off the Venezuelan coast, killing 11 people, according to President Donald Trump, who shared a video on Truth Social of drone footage showing a small speedboat exploding.
The U.S. claimed this boat was trafficking drugs and was operated by members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang. However, Venezuelan officials have stated it was a “fishing boat targeted without cause.”
A second strike on another alleged trafficking vessel was carried out on Sept. 15, which killed three people. On Sept. 19, another three people were killed when the U.S. struck a third vessel this month.
Legal scholars have raised questions about whether these strikes comply with international law. The boats were struck in international waters, which some analysts say could be considered a war crime under Article 2(4) of the U.N. Charter.
The exception to this rule would be if the strikes were self-defense. An analysis by The Atlantic Council stated that a drug trafficking vessel would not fall under these exceptions and would likely be deemed “[dis]proportional to any military advantage anticipated.”
FBI Director, Kash Patel, declined to give a legal framework when pressed by reporters.
“The President has the authority he needs to protect the American people,” Patel said. Critics have pointed out that no Congressional authorization was cited.
The Trump administration claimed that there have been bags of cocaine and fentanyl found in the ocean around these boats. President Trump said that these drugs and the cartels that traffic them could pose a threat to national security, foreign policy and “vital U.S. interests.”
During a campaign rally on Sept. 15, President Trump addressed the situation in Venezuela directly.
“We’re not going to let the narco-dictatorship of Maduro poison our people with drugs,” Trump said.
The first strike on Sept. 2 was condemned by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who said it was “a missile destroyer attacking tuna boats of unarmed fishermen.”
President Maduro later stated that the U.S. was “seeking to provoke a confrontation with Venezuela.”
President Maduro warned that Venezuela would respond to further U.S. aggression.
Tensions have been rising between the two nations for months. On Aug. 22, the Trump administration deployed three U.S. Aegis guided-missile destroyers just off the Venezuelan coast.
Along with these ships, the Trump administration announced air and naval reinforcements would be deployed to the Caribbean, including more than 4,000 Marines and Naval personnel.
This mobilization follows President Trump’s decision to increase the bounty for President Maduro, who was charged in 2020 for crimes including narco-terrorism, doubling it to $50 million.
The U.S. has vowed to continue targeting alleged trafficking vessels, while President Maduro warned of Venezuela’s response if provoked further.
