Editing Openai/6931d9f0-f58c-8003-82b6-5a006c8e9eb3 (section)

==== - According to multiple recent reports, the U.S. has carried out military strikes on boats alleged to be Venezuelan drug‑smuggling vessels since September 2025 as part of a broader anti‑drug / “narco‑terrorism” campaign. PBS<ref>{{cite web|title=PBS|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_United_States_military_strikes_on_alleged_drug_traffickers|publisher=en.wikipedia.org|access-date=2025-12-05}}</ref> ====
* One of the strikes — on September 2, 2025 — has drawn heavy scrutiny because after the initial attack, U.S. forces reportedly carried out a so‑called “second‑tap” strike: a follow‑up strike targeting survivors in the water or shipwrecked individuals. Reuters<ref>{{cite web|title=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/white-house-admiral-approved-second-strike-boat-venezuela-was-well-within-legal-2025-12-01/|publisher=reuters.com|access-date=2025-12-05}}</ref>
* Official statements from U.S. leadership (in the current administration) frame these strikes as part of a war on “narco‑terrorists,” i.e. trafficking organizations — a justification for using military force rather than standard law‑enforcement. Foreign Policy<ref>{{cite web|title=Foreign Policy|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/09/04/trump-venezuela-drug-boat-strike-us-military-narcoterrorism/|publisher=Foreign Policy|date=2025-09-04|access-date=2025-12-05}}</ref>
* The U.S. military reportedly employed airstrikes and naval fire against these vessels. Wikipedia<ref>{{cite web|title=Wikipedia|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_United_States_military_strikes_on_alleged_drug_traffickers|publisher=en.wikipedia.org|access-date=2025-12-05}}</ref>
* The activity has provoked widespread international and domestic condemnation: - United Nations Human Rights Office (via its High Commissioner) called the strikes “unacceptable,” demanding independent, transparent investigations. Al Jazeera<ref>{{cite web|title=Al Jazeera|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/31/un-human-rights-chief-says-us-strikes-on-alleged-drug-boats-unacceptable|publisher=Al Jazeera|date=2025-10-31|access-date=2025-12-05}}</ref> - Several legal scholars and international‑law experts question the legality of using lethal military force against vessels suspected of trafficking drugs — given that drug trafficking is normally a criminal offense, not an act of war. Poynter Institute<ref>{{cite web|title=Poynter Institute|url=https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2025/us-military-strike-venezuelan-drug-vessel-legal-questions/|publisher=Poynter Institute|access-date=2025-12-05}}</ref> - Critics argue striking small vessels suspected of trafficking — especially if there’s no clear imminent threat — blurs the line between law enforcement and warfare. Al Jazeera<ref>{{cite web|title=Al Jazeera|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/6/can-us-strikes-on-suspected-drug-boats-off-venezuela-be-legally-justified|publisher=Al Jazeera|access-date=2025-12-05}}</ref>

So yes — there is public, credible‑source reporting that U.S. military forces have bombed boats alleged to be Venezuelan drug vessels.