(MENAFN) The U.S. military carried out its second strike within a fortnight on Monday, targeting a suspected Venezuelan drug trafficking boat in international waters and killing three men aboard, according to President Donald Trump.

“This morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a SECOND Kinetic Strike against positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility,” Trump announced via social media.

He emphasized the ongoing threat these groups pose, stating, “These extremely violent drug trafficking cartels POSE A THREAT to U.S. National Security, Foreign Policy, and vital U.S. Interests.”

Accompanying Trump’s message was an "unclassified" video showing a vessel engulfed in flames in undisclosed waters.

This follows an earlier U.S. strike on September 2, also in international waters, targeting a Venezuelan vessel allegedly transporting narcotics. That attack killed 11 people, whom Trump identified as all “positively identified Tren de Aragua (TDA) Narcoterrorists.”

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro condemned the initial strike as “unlawful,” accusing the U.S. of inventing drug trafficking accusations to legitimize its attempts at regime change. Maduro asserted that Venezuela is free from coca cultivation and cocaine production.

There has been no official Venezuelan response regarding Monday’s second strike.

At a press conference on Monday, Maduro declared that communication channels between Venezuela and the U.S. have been cut off by Washington. He attributed this to “threats and blackmail” from the U.S., while underscoring Venezuela’s ability to “manage to preserve peace” despite provocations.

Maduro emphasized that Venezuela is determined to protect itself from political, diplomatic, and possible military threats.

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