Trump claimed the strike killed three men from Venezuela he labeled “confirmed narcoterrorists” and reaffirmed his commitment to continue targeting suspected drug traffickers.
“BE WARNED — IF YOU ARE TRANSPORTING DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS, WE ARE HUNTING YOU!,” Trump wrote on social media.
Trump told reporters later that the administration has evidence the targeted boat was heading to the US and carrying drugs. His social media post included a video showing the vessel engulfed in a fiery explosion.
Trump said he believes the airstrikes have curbed the flow of drugs into the US over water, and suggested he would take similar measures against cartels who smuggled drugs into the US across its land borders.
“When they come by land, we’re going to be stopping them the same way we stopped the boats,” he said.
The strike marks the second attack on an alleged drug trafficking boat this month. A US strike against a vessel leaving Venezuela earlier this month prompted lawmakers in both parties to raise concerns over the legality of the attacks.
Many Democrats pushed the White House to provide legal justification in the days after the first strike. The White House has repeatedly argued it abided by laws governing “armed conflict” to justify its strike.
RHM/
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