President Donald Trump announced Friday that U.S. forces carried out a third “lethal kinetic strike” on a vessel he said was trafficking illicit narcotics, and framed the strike as part of a broader effort to secure Americans from a rising drug scourge.
From the White House’s rapid response account:
“On my Orders, the Secretary of War ordered a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization conducting narcotrafficking in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking illicit narcotics, and was transiting along a known narcotrafficking passage enroute to poison Americans. The strike killed 3 male narcoterrorists aboard the vessel, which was in international waters. No U.S. Forces were harmed in this strike. STOP SELLING FENTANYL, NARCOTICS, AND ILLEGAL DRUGS IN AMERICA, AND COMMITTING VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM AGAINST AMERICANS!!!”
News organizations confirmed the president’s account and noted this is the third such strike announced in recent weeks. The BBC summarized the administration’s claim and the international context:
“President Donald Trump has said US forces carried out a ‘lethal kinetic strike’ on a vessel which he said was trafficking drugs, and the attack killed three ‘male narcoterrorists’ on board. … It was the third such strike on alleged drug boats in recent weeks.”
CBS News reported additional operational detail and the administration’s broader framing of the campaign:
“President Trump said Friday the U.S. military has carried out another ‘lethal kinetic strike’ on a boat accused of carrying drugs — at least the third strike in recent weeks… The strikes come as the Trump administration vows to crack down on drug trafficking in Central and South America. The federal government has designated multiple drug cartels and transnational gangs as terrorist organizations…”
Trump cast the strikes as a blunt instrument of security: a president asserting commander-in-chief authority to “secure” U.S. borders and waters against fentanyl and organized narco-violence. Supporters say decisive military action is needed to stop poison before it arrives on American streets; critics in Congress argue the administration has not provided a full legal justification and warn of potential violations of international law.
As the White House touts the operation as part of a hard-line security posture, lawmakers and legal experts are already pressing for more details, including where the strike took place, how targets were identified, and what rules of engagement governed the use of lethal force in international waters. The next chapters will hinge on what the Pentagon discloses and whether Congress accepts the administration’s claim that these strikes are lawful, necessary, and effective in keeping Americans safe.
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