Trump touts another US strike near Venezuela that killed six alleged drug smugglers

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the U.S. military carried out another strike on a suspected drug vessel off the coast of Venezuela, killing six suspected smugglers.

"Under my Standing Authorities as Commander-in-Chief, this morning, the Secretary of War, ordered a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) conducting narcotrafficking in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility — just off the Coast of Venezuela. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, was associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks, and was transiting along a known DTO route," Trump wrote Tuesday on Truth Social. 

"The strike was conducted in International Waters, and six male narcoterrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike," Trump said. "No U.S. Forces were harmed." 

The strikes comes after the White House sent lawmakers a memo Sept. 30 informing them that the U.S. is now participating in a "non-international armed conflict" with drug smugglers. 

Additionally, it comes on the heels of four other fatal strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean since September.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.