President Donald Trump said Tuesday morning that U.S. forces have destroyed a third drug-smuggling vessel from Venezuela, escalating a campaign that has already heightened tensions with Caracas and drawn scrutiny over its legality.
"We knocked off, actually three boats, not two, but we saw two," Trump told reporters as he departed Washington for a trip to London. He offered no additional details about the alleged third strike, which has not been confirmed by the Pentagon.
Trump also reiterated his warning to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. "Stop sending drugs into the United States," he said. He also accused the Venezuelan government of sending members of the Tren de Aragua gang northward.
📍Washington DC, #UnitedStates (🇺🇸)
— SA Defensa (@SA_Defensa) September 16, 2025
Announcement by President @realDonaldTrump staying that they struck “three boats, not two”.
This confirms an additional boat attack that has not had declassified footage.pic.twitter.com/GL8grPI9Kd https://t.co/hamUgKP8oG
The remarks followed Trump's Monday disclosure that a second Venezuelan vessel had been struck, killing three people on board. In a post to social media, he released video of a boat exploding at sea, which he said was proof of U.S. action against "narco-terrorists." Speaking later at the White House, Trump said U.S. forces had "recorded proof and evidence" that the boats were carrying cocaine and fentanyl.
Last month, Trump ordered a separate strike on another Venezuelan vessel, which the Pentagon said left 11 people dead. He has also suggested that operations could expand beyond maritime targets, telling reporters the U.S. is prepared to act "on land as well as at sea."
Maduro has condemned the U.S. campaign as aggression and said there is no communication between Washington and Caracas. On Monday, he said relations had shifted from "battered" to "completely broken" following the strikes, which Venezuelan officials argue violate international law.
This is a developing story
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