US Attack Venezuela Ship: US Latest News | Donald Trump Venezuela Updte- America attacks drug ship off Venezuelan coast, six dead

US President Donald Trump said that the US military attacked a drug smuggling ship in international waters near the coast of Venezuela, killing six people aboard. Trump gave this information on Truth Social. According to news agency Xinhua, since September, a total of 27 people have died in US military attacks on ships suspected to be involved in drug smuggling around Venezuela. Trump said that US intelligence agencies had confirmed that the ship was traveling through a well-known maritime route for drug smuggling and was linked to a terrorist network of illegal drugs.

Earlier, the Trump administration had sent a memorandum to Congress informing that the US is now in a state of ‘non-international armed conflict’ against the drug cartels that it has designated as terrorist organizations. America will consider the members of these organizations as ‘illegal fighters’ and take action. However, the memo did not name the cartels, nor did it disclose the criteria the US government would use to determine whether an individual is linked enough to a cartel to be targeted.

What is Venezuela’s allegation?

On the other hand, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused America of trying to change the Venezuelan government and increase its military presence in Latin America using the excuse of drug cartels. A few days ago, Venezuela’s defense and foreign ministries condemned the illegal intrusion of US warplanes. Foreign Minister Ivan Gil said on social media that on October 2, 2025, US war planes were found at a distance of about 75 kilometers from the Venezuelan coast. The Venezuelan government called it a provocative move against the country’s sovereignty and said it was a violation of international law and the International Civil Aviation Treaty.