The US Defense Minister Pete Hegseth confirmed the latest attack on X during the night against Thursday, Swedish time. According to Hegseth, the boat was used by "terrorists" who were transporting narcotics.
Unlike the previous attacks, which were carried out in the Caribbean Sea, the two latest have been carried out in the Pacific Ocean. On Wednesday, a verbal altercation broke out between the US President Donald Trump and Colombia's counterpart Gustavo Petro, whose country borders the Pacific Ocean.
Trump called Petro a "gangster" and implied that he is a drug smuggler who is leading Colombia to ruin. Petro responded by promising to defend himself in an American court.
Even the US Foreign Minister Marco Rubio entered the altercation and called Petro crazy.
He is a madman, a madman and he is not doing well, says Rubio during a press conference.
The tensions between the US and South American countries such as Colombia and Venezuela have escalated since the US has carried out a total of nine attacks in recent months against boats that are alleged to be transporting narcotics.
The attacks have mainly been carried out off the coast of Venezuela and are described by the US as a fight against drug smuggling. 37 people have been killed.
At the same time, President Donald Trump recently gave the intelligence agency CIA the green light to carry out secret operations within Venezuela.
The decision means a sharp escalation in terms of the US's attempts to put pressure on Venezuela's President Nícolás Maduro.
During the night against Thursday, Swedish time, Maduro announced that Venezuela has 5,000 Russian-made air defense missiles that are ready to be used to "guarantee security" in the country.
