Washington, September 7(HS):

US Vice President JD Vance has staunchly defended a controversial American airstrike on a Venezuelan drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean that killed 11 people, dismissing critics who labeled the action a potential war crime.

The Trump administration confirmed that a quad-motor watercraft, allegedly operated by members of the Tren de Aragua cartel—recently designated a terrorist organisation by President Trump—was destroyed in the strike. The group is accused of collaborating with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to funnel narcotics into the United States.

Responding to political commentator Brian Krassenstein’s claim that the strike represented a war crime, Vance retorted on X:

I don’t give a sht what you call it. Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military.*

While US officials maintained the operation was consistent with international law and undertaken in defence of national interests, international law experts warned it may violate the UN Charter, which permits the use of force only in self-defence or with Security Council approval.

President Trump issued a warning on Truth Social: “Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America. BEWARE!”

Both Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the strike would not be an isolated action, stressing the US military’s expanded operational presence in the Caribbean to dismantle such networks.

Traditionally, US policy relies on the Coast Guard to intercept smuggling routes and seize narcotics. However, Vance, who campaigned heavily on deploying the military against drug cartels, has advocated more aggressive measures, extending even to potential direct confrontations with Mexican cartels.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar