The U.S. military launched a new wave of attacks on three vessels at sea, resulting in three deaths. The military claimed these ships were engaged in drug smuggling.
Foreign news agencies reported on 1 Jan 2026 GMT+7 that the U.S. military conducted an operation attacking a "convoy" of three vessels alleged to be involved in drug smuggling on Tuesday, 30 Dec 2025 GMT+7. This marks the latest in a series of increasingly intense U.S. maritime strikes.
According to a statement from the U.S. Southern Command posted on the platform X on Wednesday, officials reported three fatalities on one targeted vessel, while the remaining individuals aboard two other ships abandoned them and fled.
However, the U.S. military did not disclose the exact location of the attacks, stating only that they occurred in "international waters," unlike previous strikes which specified the Caribbean Sea or the Pacific Ocean.
This latest attack brings the total number of vessels targeted by the U.S. to at least 34, with at least 110 fatalities since the campaign began in September 2025 GMT+7.
The U.S. government under President Donald Trump claimed the attacks aim to stem the flood of drugs entering the United States. Nonetheless, senior officials have hinted that these measures are also part of pressure tactics to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, as many of the targeted vessels originated from that country.
Susie Wiles, White House Chief of Staff, told Vanity Fair magazine that President Trump intends to continue targeting these vessels until Maduro "surrenders."
Last week, President Trump stated that the U.S. destroyed “large facilities” as part of pressure efforts against Venezuela. These efforts include not only attacks but also a massive naval and personnel buildup in the Caribbean Sea and blockades of sanctioned oil tankers.
Sources told CNN that earlier this month, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) used drones to strike facilities at a port on Venezuela’s coast, marking the first reported direct U.S. attacks on targets within Venezuela.
Trump briefly mentioned the attack on Monday, saying, “There was a big explosion at the port area where they were loading drugs onto ships,” adding that the area for such operations “no longer exists.”
Meanwhile, Maduro condemned the U.S. military presence in the Caribbean Sea, accusing the United States of waging psychological terror warfare against his country.
In response to Trump’s orders to block sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, Venezuela’s National Assembly approved new legislation imposing prison sentences of up to 20 years for anyone found supporting “piracy” or the maritime blockade of vessels.
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Source:cnn