{"id":14444,"date":"2025-10-15T05:20:22","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T05:20:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/trump-announces-latest-deadly-boat-strike-off-venezuelan-coast\/"},"modified":"2025-10-15T05:20:22","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T05:20:22","slug":"trump-announces-latest-deadly-boat-strike-off-venezuelan-coast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/trump-announces-latest-deadly-boat-strike-off-venezuelan-coast\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump announces latest deadly boat strike off Venezuelan coast"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Are Salam<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The United States has struck another boat off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump announced Tuesday, <\/strong>continuing a series of deadly attacks that have drawn questions about their legality. <\/p>\n

The latest strike came in international waters and killed six people suspected of running drugs, the president said<\/a> on social media. He also posted a 33-second video that shows the boat exploding.<\/p>\n

It was at least the fifth U.S. strike on small boats in the region since Sept. 2, with at least 27 people killed.<\/p>\n

Legal experts, Democrats and even some Republicans<\/a> argue that using military force against civilians without proof of an imminent threat violates U.S. and international law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In a memo to Congress seen by The Associated Press<\/a>the Trump administration said that because it had “determined that the United States is in a non-international armed conflict with these designated terrorist organizations,” Trump can direct the Pentagon to carry out operations against them without congressional approval.<\/p>\n

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to BLN’s request for comment. <\/p>\n

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López has”https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-cartels-drugs-venezuela-boat-strike-af1a784864268707a76755a98615563e” target=”_blank”>accused the U.S. of striking boats in the Caribbean under false pretenses of drug trafficking.<\/p>\n

“I want to warn the population: We have to prepare ourselves because the irrationality with which the U.S. empire operates is not normal,” Padrino said last week. “It’s anti-political, anti-human, warmongering, rude and vulgar.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Are Salam<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter and producer for BLN Digital. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n