U.S. Strike Kills Four Off Venezuela, Raises Legal Questions

U.S. forces struck a suspected drug‑smuggling boat off Venezuela, killing four people that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described as “narco‑terrorists,” and he said the attack occurred in international waters with no U.S. casualties. Hegseth and President Trump released surveillance video and said intelligence indicated the vessel was carrying substantial narcotics, with Trump claiming the load could kill thousands. The administration says the attack is at least the fourth such strike in recent weeks as part of a declared “armed conflict” with drug cartels and sent a memo to Congress while broadening deployments in the region. Critics, legal scholars and governments including Venezuela have condemned the strikes as potentially unlawful extrajudicial killings and warned they risk escalating tensions. The Pentagon has provided few operational details or public evidence about the identities or affiliations of those killed, leaving legal, diplomatic and transparency concerns unresolved.