Was Trump right to bomb what he called a “a drug ship”?

US President Donald Trump has confirmed that the Pentagon carried out a strike against a ship suspected of belonging to a Venezuelan drug cartel, while it was in international waters in the southern Caribbean.

Trump defends US strike on boat from Venezuela he says was carrying drugs reut.rs/4mOBnVg

— Reuters (@reuters.com) 2025-09-03T16:15:18Z

According to Trump, 11 people aboard the ship, described by his administration as “a drug ship” that had sailed from Venezuela”, were killed in the strike in international waters.

The president himself later defended the attack, with Reuters reports, saying he believed the ship was carrying drugs.

Donald Trump broke the news via Truth Social, broadcasting a declassified video of the attack carried out by US forces:

“Earlier this morning, on my orders, U.S. military forces conducted a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua narcoterrorists in SOUTHCOM’s area of responsibility.”

Recall that in an executive order signed last January, Trump officially classified drug cartels, including Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG, as “foreign terrorist organizations” while the Pentagon promised further military action against them in the coming months. Trump used this accreditation to invoke Article II of the UN charter for the attack, allowing him to use deadly military force on a foreign entity without enacting war.

Multiple news outlets and legal experts have questioned the legitimacy and legality of the attack, and whether the ship was actually being used to traffic illegal drugs. The Trump administration fed into this speculation, with Marco Rubio and Trump giving conflicting information on the alleged destination of the vessel.

Technically, this attack was legal according to international law, but many experts have lauded labeling of cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations”, claiming that Trump has stretched the meaning beyond it’s breaking point.

The White House has until Thursday to send it’s report to Speaker Mike Johnson, detailing its official reasoning for the attack, but experts warn to stay wary about information coming from POTUS.

The group Tren De Aragua have not made a comment on the airstrike, nor the accusation of the ship’s intention. The Venezuelan government has also not confirmed the identity or the objective of the vessel. On their part, President Nicolás Madur claims his government demolished Tren De Aragua in 2023. The government goes as far as to claim the group is a work of fiction, perpetrated by international media organizations.

Tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela have been mounting for multiple months, with this attack representing a potential breaking point for Venezuela. President Maduro made statements on Monday that some saw as readying his citizens for war, with Maduro encouraging Venezuelans to prepare themselves to defend their country.

Maduro claimed to have once again won Venezuelas election last year, but numerous democracies around the world, including Canada’s, have refused to recognize his victory. Poll tracking of the 2024 election showed opposition leader Edmundo González owning more than 60 per cent of the popular vote, with Madura commanding under 20 per cent.

The Trump administration has not indicated they plan an invasion of Venezuela, but three navy destroyers and a cruiser, carrying 4,000 American troops has been moved closer to the Venezuelan shore.