**Title: U.S. Conducts Strike on Alleged Drug Boat Off Venezuela**

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Friday that the U.S. military executed a strike against an alleged drug boat that had departed from Venezuela. Hegseth stated that four male individuals identified as narco-terrorists were killed in the operation, with no U.S. personnel harmed. The strike took place in international waters near the Venezuelan coast while the vessel was reportedly transporting a significant quantity of narcotics intended for the U.S.

"This vessel was trafficking narcotics, and the people onboard were narco-terrorists operating on a known narco-trafficking transit route," Hegseth said in a post on X, which included footage of the attack. He did not provide further details about the operation.

This incident marks the fourth strike conducted off the Venezuelan coast, which the Trump administration maintains occurred in international waters. Earlier this week, the administration informed Congress that it considers itself to be in an "armed conflict" with drug cartels. It also stated that individuals involved in smuggling illegal drugs should be classified as "unlawful combatants."

This classification has raised concerns among legal experts, who argue that equating drug traffickers with combatants in war zones stretches legal justifications. The specific groups targeted in these strikes remain unclear. President Trump previously claimed that the first strike involved members of the Tren de Aragua gang, but the identities of those killed in subsequent strikes, including the latest one, have not been disclosed.

A congressional official expressed concern, stating that lawmakers view the recent notifications about the strikes as the administration "essentially waging a secret war against secret enemies, without the consent of Congress."

U.S. officials have long asserted that cocaine shipments from Venezuela contribute to rising overdose deaths in the country. They accuse Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of facilitating drug trafficking, a claim he denies. The Trump administration has placed a $50 million bounty on Maduro's head for his arrest.

Earlier this year, the administration designated all drug cartels as "foreign terrorist organizations," which officials argue provides them with the legal authority to pursue these groups without due process. This situation continues to develop, and updates are expected as more information becomes available.