JAKARTA - The US attack on ships off the coast of Venezuela killed six suspected drug dealers. This is the latest operation in recent weeks as the US increases its military force in the region.
This attack is the latest example of US President Donald Trump's efforts to use US military force in new ways.
In an upload on Truth Social, Trump said the attack was carried out against a terrorist organization, but he did not provide details on which group.
"The intelligence confirms that the ship smuggled narcotics and was linked to an illegal narcotics terrorist network," Trump said, without providing evidence.
Trump's 30-second video appears to show a ship stationary in the waters that was hit by a projectile before it exploded.
US attacks on ships suspected of transporting drugs off the coast of Venezuela
The Pentagon recently told Congress Trump that the United States was involved in a "non-international armed conflict" with drug cartels.
Several former military lawyers said the legal explanation given by the Trump administration for the killing of suspected drug dealers at sea, instead of arresting them, failed to meet the legal requirements of war law.
The massive US military deployment is taking place in the southern Caribbean.
SEE ALSO:
In addition to the F-35 aircraft in Puerto Rico, there are eight US warships in the region, carrying thousands of sailors and marine, as well as one nuclear-powered submarine.
The Trump administration provided little information about previous attacks, including the identity of the dead or details about cargo.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly accused the US of hoping to overthrow him from power.
In August, Washington doubled its rewards for information leading to Maduro's arrest to $50 million, accusing him of links to drug trafficking and criminal groups Maduro denies.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
