Hegseth confirms strike on Venezuelan drug boat killed 4

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Friday confirmed that he had authorized a lethal strike on a narco-trafficking boat and that the strike had killed four.

"Earlier this morning, on President Trump's orders, I directed a lethal, kinetic strike on a narco-trafficking vessel affiliated with Designated Terrorist Organizations in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility," he posted on X.

He also included the footage, which showed a small skiff speeding in open water before exploding.

"Four male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike, and no U.S. forces were harmed in the operation," he added. "The strike was conducted in international waters just off the coast of Venezuela while the vessel was transporting substantial amounts of narcotics - headed to America to poison our people. 
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." 

"These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over!!!!" he vowed.

The strike marks the latest in a string of armed operations against drug traffickers, especially those based out of Venezuela. The Trump administration told the Pentagon action this week in accordance with the laws of "armed conflict."

“The United States has now reached a critical point where we must use force in self-defense and defense of others against the ongoing attacks by these designated terrorist organizations," the administration said in a memo.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.