Washington/Caracas, September 16 (HS): The United States military has destroyed an alleged Venezuelan drug-trafficking boat in international waters, killing three people, in the second such strike this month amid escalating hostilities with Caracas.

President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the boat belonged to “extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narco-terrorists,” claiming cargo evidence of cocaine and fentanyl scattered across the sea proved its illicit use. He released aerial footage of the attack, which showed the vessel exploding and catching fire.

The strike comes just days after another U.S. operation killed 11 on a separate vessel, sparking sharp condemnation from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who accused Washington of violating sovereignty and vowed to defend the country against “imperialist aggression.” Maduro branded U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio the “lord of death and war” and accused the Biden administration of deliberately seeking escalation to trigger regime change in Caracas.

Legal experts have warned that U.S. attacks on civilian boats in international waters could breach international maritime and human rights law. Venezuela has responded with military posturing, including flying fighter jets over a U.S. destroyer and accusing U.S. forces of illegally seizing a Venezuelan fishing boat over the weekend.

The deepening clash comes against the backdrop of Washington’s rejection of Maduro’s contested 2024 re-election, which international monitors deemed fraudulent in favor of opposition candidate Edmundo González. U.S. officials have long accused Maduro of overseeing the “Cartel of the Suns,” with a $50 million bounty on his head. Maduro has denied the charges and urged Venezuelans to enlist in civilian militias, heightening fears of further confrontation in the Caribbean.

—————

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar