Washington DC: US Vice President JD Vance strongly defended a US airstrike that killed 11 people aboard a Venezuelan drug-smuggling vessel, dismissing critics who labelled the attack a war crime.
The Trump administration said the vessel belonged to the Tren de Aragua gang, recently designated a terrorist organisation, and accused of smuggling drugs into the US.
Vance Justifies Strike
JD Vance took to X to justify the airstrike, saying, “Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military.” He responded to political commentator Brian Krassenstein, who called the strike a potential war crime, by saying, “I don’t give a sh*t what you call it.”
The Trump administration confirmed the quad-motor watercraft was destroyed in the Caribbean, resulting in the deaths of 11 individuals linked to the Tren de Aragua gang. The group was recently designated as a terrorist organisation by President Trump, who accused its members of working with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to ship drugs into the US.
White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly stated the strike was “conducted against the operations of a designated terrorist organisation and was taken in defence of vital US national interests,” adding it was “fully consistent” with international law.
President Trump posted on Truth Social, “Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America. BEWARE!”
Action Promised by US Officials
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated the strike would not be isolated. Speaking to Fox News, Hegseth said, “We’ve got assets in the air, assets in the water, assets on ships, because this is a deadly serious mission for us, and it won’t stop with just this strike.” He warned that “anyone else trafficking in those waters who we know is a designated narco terrorist will face the same fate.”
Typically, the US Coast Guard intercepts smuggling vessels, seizes contraband, and detains crews. Recently, the Coast Guard reported seizing about 20,000 kg of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean over the past month.
JD Vance has long supported a militarised approach against drug cartels, stating at a rally that “we’ll send (our forces) in to do battle with the Mexican drug cartels, too.”
