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According to American defense chief Pete Hegseth, American forces eliminated four individuals in an operation against a boat allegedly transporting illegal drugs offshore close to the Venezuelan coast.

The strike took place just a day after US officials notified Congress regarding the US was entering a "non-international armed conflict" with drug cartels.

It represents no fewer than the fourth such extraordinary and controversial operation conducted by American military outside American waters over the past month.

Details of the Military Operation

The defense secretary stated that the vessel was struck while transporting substantial amounts of illegal drugs bound for America, which he described to public health.

“Our intelligence, without a doubt, confirmed that this vessel was trafficking narcotics, the people onboard were narco-terrorists, and they were operating on a known narco-trafficking transit route,” he declared in a social media post.

The defense secretary also claimed that the vessel had links to terrorist groups, a classification introduced in a confidential memo sent to lawmakers.

Juridical and Political Context

US officials have notified Congress that it considers cartels are non-state armed actors whose activities in narcotics trafficking represent an armed assault on the US.

This notification was accompanied by a classified briefing with lawmakers of the Senate armed services committee, conducted earlier this week.

White House representatives have sought to legitimize these operations by citing the president’s Article II powers, permitting the use of military force in self-defense during confined conflicts.

Earlier Operations and Global Response

Prior to this strike, American military had conducted strikes on three boats in the Caribbean, resulting in 17 deaths and sparking global condemnation.

The defense secretary reiterated that such operations “will continue” until “the attacks on the American people are over”.

Administrative Changes and Oversight

The Trump administration have reportedly strengthened a White House security body to function separately within the administration, a shift unlike prior governments which had it reporting to the national security adviser.

This restructuring affected the coordination and execution of such strikes, with some officials being informed about strikes only hours before their execution.

Regardless of official claims, legal experts point out that designating trafficking groups as foreign terrorist organizations does not grant additional authority for using deadly action absent solid proof linking them to a foreign government.

So far, the administration has not provided proof concerning the supposed infiltration of the Venezuelan government.