It is the first such attack since the US overthrew and captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier in January. The US claims that the Venezuelan regime has played a leading role in drug trafficking from South America.
After the bombing, the Coast Guard launched a search-and-rescue operation to find one person who survived the attack, the military wrote in a post on X.
In total, at least 117 people have been killed in US attacks on suspected drug boats in international waters since September.
