The United States military has confirmed that four people were killed in a strike on a boat in international waters – the 20th reported attack on vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific – as officials of President Donald Trump’s administration were reported to have held meetings on possible military operations in Venezuela.

In a post on X on Friday, the US Southern Command said the strike on Monday was authorised by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and that the boat was “trafficking narcotics”, without providing evidence.

Southern Command shared an accompanying video clip that showed an aerial view of the boat travelling in the Caribbean before being struck and exploding in a ball of flames.

International law and human rights experts have repeatedly said that such attacks amount to ex

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