Trump Labels Exploding Boats at Sea an «Act of Kindness»

President Donald Trump commented on the recent U.S. military strikes against boats in the Caribbean, allegedly carrying drugs toward the United States, labeling the strikes «An Act of Kindness».

«We’re so good at it that there are no boats, in fact, even fishing boats.»

According to The New York Times, while speaking aboard an aircraft carrier off the coast of Virginia during an event marking the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy, President Trump praised U.S. forces for their effectiveness in the Caribbean military operations led by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, claiming that their operations near Venezuela had been so successful that not a single fishing boat remained at sea.

Shift to tracking them on land

«We’re so good at it that there are no boats, in fact, even fishing boats,» boasted Trump about the controversial attack in international waters.

The president claimed the strikes were so effective that the U.S. military would have to change tactics and begin tracking them on land, since no boats remained at sea:

«We’ll have to start looking about the land because they’ll be forced to go by land.»

This military operation targeting Venezuelan drug cartels began in early September, with the Trump administration announcing at least four strikes.

According to reports, at least 21 «drug smugglers» were said to have been killed, although the U.S. military has provided no evidence that those on the boats were indeed members of drug cartels.

«International law does not allow governments to simply murder alleged drug traffickers.»

Not allowed under international law

U.S. military tactics have sparked controversy, with international observers warning that the use of force is permitted under international law only in cases of imminent threat or with UN approval.

As the UN noted a few weeks ago, when the United States had just carried out its first military operations in the Caribbean: «International law does not allow governments to simply murder alleged drug traffickers.»

But according to CNN, the Pentagon justified the strikes by arguing that the legal rationale rested on the claim that «The cartels involved have grown more armed, well organized, and violent… now transnational and conducting ongoing attacks throughout the Western Hemisphere as organized cartels.» It further stated: «The President determined these cartels are non-state armed groups, designated them as terrorist organizations, and determined that their actions constitute an armed attack against the United States.»

«IF YOU TRANSPORT DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS, WE WILL HUNT YOU DOWN!»

Trump Defends 4 Strikes on «narcoterrorists»

In September 2025, the United States launched a series of controversial military strikes in the Caribbean, claiming to target Venezuelan drug cartels. The first strike occurred on September 2, when U.S. forces destroyed a vessel in international waters. President Donald Trump said the ship was linked to the Tren de Aragua gang, recently designated a foreign terrorist organization, and reported eleven deaths. Trump personally announced the operation on Truth Social, releasing a declassified video and calling it a strike against «narcoterrorists».

Weeks later, a second strike targeted another vessel allegedly transporting narcotics from Venezuela to the United States, killing three people. Trump described them as «violent drug cartels» and justified the action as vital to U.S. security.

The president posted another video on Truth Social, warning: «IF YOU TRANSPORT DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS, WE WILL HUNT YOU DOWN!» Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed the president’s stance.

A third strike took place in mid-September, again in international waters, reportedly killing three more people. On October 3, Hegseth confirmed a fourth operation near Venezuela’s coast that killed four men described as «narco-terrorists», insisting the vessel carried large amounts of narcotics bound for the United States.

This content was created with the help of AI.