JD Vance defends Venezuelan boat strike as ‘best use of our military’
Trump posts footage of the Venezuelan ‘drug boat’ being blown up
US Vice President JD Vance has defended the US military’s strike on a Venezuelan boat on 2 September, which resulted in the deaths of 11 people.
The Trump administration asserts the vessel was operated by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and was involved in drug trafficking.
The legality of the strike in international waters, and the absence of due process, has been questioned by legal experts and politicians, with some suggesting it could constitute a "war crime."
Vance said on his official X account that he "doesn't give a s***" if it is labelled a "war crime," a comment that drew sharp criticism from GOP Senator Rand Paul.
Vance said: “Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military.”