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According to US Defense Secretary the Pentagon's top official, a US strike eliminated four individuals during a mission against a boat suspected of carrying illegal drugs offshore near the Venezuelan coast.

The strike occurred just a day after American authorities informed Congress that the country had entered a "non-international armed conflict" against narco-trafficking organizations.

This marks no fewer than the fourth unprecedented and controversial operation by US forces outside American waters in recent weeks.

Details of the Military Operation

The defense secretary stated that the vessel was struck while transporting substantial amounts of illegal drugs destined for the United States, which he described as poisoning the people.

“Intelligence assessments definitively verified the vessel’s involvement in drug trafficking, identifying those aboard as narco-terrorists using established smuggling routes,” he declared in a social media post.

Hegseth further asserted that the vessel had links to Designated Terrorist Organizations, a label introduced through a private document to Congress.

Juridical and Political Context

The Trump administration has informed Congress that it considers drug trafficking organizations are non-state armed actors whose activities in narcotics trafficking represent an armed assault on the US.

The memo was accompanied by a secret session with lawmakers from the Senate defense panel, held earlier this week.

Administration officials attempted to justify these operations under Trump’s Article II powers, which allow the use of military force in self-defense in limited engagements.

Previous Operations and International Response

Prior to this incident, American military carried out strikes on three boats in Caribbean waters, resulting in 17 fatalities and sparking global condemnation.

Hegseth emphasized that these strikes “are ongoing” until “threats to US citizens persist”.

Governmental Changes and Oversight

Officials have reportedly empowered a White House security body to operate separately inside the administration, a shift from previous administrations where it reported to the security chief.

The reorganization affected the coordination and implementation of such strikes, with some officials learning of operations shortly prior to they occur.

Regardless of the administration’s assertions, legal experts point out that labeling trafficking groups as foreign terrorist organizations does not grant additional authority for using deadly action without concrete evidence connecting them with a foreign government.

To date, the administration has not provided such evidence regarding the supposed infiltration of the Venezuelan government.