WASHINGTON, October 24. /TASS/. US forces destroyed a boat in international waters of the Caribbean Sea that could have been used to transport drugs, Pentagon chief Pete Hagseth said on X, adding that six people on board were killed.

He noted that, according to US intelligence, the boat was used by the Venezuelan drug cartel Tren de Aragua. "Six male narco-terrorists were aboard the vessel during the strike, which was conducted in international waters — and was the first strike at night. All six terrorists were killed and no US forces were harmed in this strike," Hegseth wrote.

"Our message to these foreign terrorist organizations is we will treat you like we have treated Al-Qaeda. (a terrorist organization banned in Russia - TASS). We will find you. We will map your networks. We will hunt you down, and we will kill you," he stated.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly warned of the most serious threat of a US invasion in the past 100 years. Washington accuses Venezuelan authorities of failing to adequately combat drug smuggling. In recent weeks, the US Navy has destroyed several speedboats in international waters in the Caribbean Sea that, according to US officials, were carrying drugs from Venezuela.

According to The New York Times, on October 7 US President Donald Trump ordered his administration to cease all attempts to reach a diplomatic settlement with Venezuela. US media have reported that the US may begin striking drug cartel targets in Venezuela in the coming weeks.