This past February saw the U.S. Department of State designate six Mexican drug cartels along with the Venezuelan gang Tren De Aragua as foreign terrorist organizations.

That move was followed by President Donald Trump ordering lethal strikes against alleged drug traffickers, with the latest attack coming this week. 

Attack took place near Venezuela

According to Breitbart, Trump announced via a Truth Social post on Tuesday that the military attack was launched in waters near Venezuela.

"Under my Standing Authorities as Commander-in-Chief, this morning, the Secretary of War ordered a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) conducting narcotrafficking in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility — just off the Coast of Venezuela," Trump wrote.

"Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, was associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks, and was transiting along a known [drug trafficking organization] route," he continued.

The president went on to explain that no American personnel were injured or killed before concluding with, "Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!!!!"

Previous strike took place on September 15

Breitbart noted how this was the fourth attack on suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers, with an earlier one coming just one month prior.

"Narco-terrorists are enemies of the United States — actively bringing death to our shores," Secretary of War Pete Hegseth wrote in a social media post.

Narco-terrorists are enemies of the United States — actively bringing death to our shores.

We will stop at nothing to defend our homeland and our citizens.

We will track them, kill them, and dismantle their networks throughout our hemisphere — at the times and places of our… https://t.co/abOWXe2afE

— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) September 15, 2025

Secretary of state says Venezuela's "regime is not the legitimate government"

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio released a statement in July which denied that Venezuela's president is a legitimate ruler.

"Maduro is not the President of Venezuela and his regime is not the legitimate government," the secretary of state declared.

"Maduro is the leader of the designated narco-terrorist organization Cartel de Los Soles, and he is responsible for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe," he alleged.

"Maduro, currently indicted by our nation, has corrupted Venezuela’s institutions to assist the cartel’s criminal narco-trafficking scheme into the United States," Rubio pointed out.