Donald Trump has escalated once again. A second strike has been carried out in international waters, with a small Venezuelan vessel destroyed by U.S. fire. Trump presented the attack as another blow against drug traffickers. The video he released shows something else entirely, a stationary boat that is suddenly lit up with explosives, killing those inside, and without a single drop of evidence to support the claims.
This comes after the first strike, where Trump claimed U.S. forces attacked another so-called drug boat. No evidence was ever provided, much like the attack today. We have all been told to accept the word of Trump and his officials while the dead were left nameless in the sea.
The United States is carrying out executions on open waters under the thin pretence of drug enforcement. There is no evidence of trafficking, what we see instead is a show of force, designed to project power while discarding the rules that govern international conduct.
These attacks cannot be separated from the broader military posture Trump has been building. Naval deployments, air patrols, and heightened readiness across the region are creating the conditions for further violence. It is a deliberate buildup, not a defensive act. Each strike adds to the danger of escalation, and each death chips away at the very idea of international law.
Maritime law protects vessels in neutral waters unless they are proven to engage in piracy or armed aggression. Neither strike has met that standard as no evidence has been provided. Both attacks are clear crimes.
Trump has chosen to kill in defiance of international law, and the United States now stands openly responsible for murder on the high seas. This is the language of impunity.