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On Sunday, Donald Trump informed thousands of sailors that US forces targeted a second vessel unlawfully carrying narcotics near the shoreline of the South American nation on Saturday night. The president made this statement during an event celebrating the American navy's two hundred and fiftieth birthday at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia.

Trump additionally stated that America will now begin addressing narcotics smuggling taking place overland. This remained immediately clear if he mentioned an operation revealed last Friday by defense secretary Pete Hegseth.

Navy's Role in Anti-Narcotics Missions

In his speech, the president commended naval forces for supporting the mission aimed at “blow the cartel terrorists the hell out of the water”. Trump claimed, “There are no boats in the water anymore. You can’t find them”.

The navy have also been deployed to join an armed conflict against drug cartels, leading to four attacks in the Caribbean on alleged speedboats engaged in drug trafficking.

“If drug smugglers were not coming in by sea, we’ll have to start looking about the land because they’ll be forced to go by land. And let me tell you that’s not going to work out well for them either,” Trump stated.

International Reaction and Legal Concerns

The United Nations have condemned the US strikes—which Washington defends as counter “narco-terrorist” members belonging to Tren de Aragua, classified as a terrorist entity, on the high seas—labeling them extrajudicial executions.

In September, the UN declared, “Governments are not permitted under international law to summarily execute suspected drug traffickers”. They further noted, “Illegal activities must be disrupted, examined, and prosecuted following legal standards, with international collaboration”.

Naval Celebrations Amid Government Closure

The navy celebrations take place during a closure of the federal government that has left some military personnel serving without pay. The president blamed Democrats for causing the government closure , attempting “to ruin the splendid commemoration of the Navy's anniversary”.

On Friday night, the president posted on social media, “In my view, ‘THE SHOW MUST GO ON!’ This event will be the grandest in Navy history. Numerous courageous active-duty members and military families will participate, and I eagerly anticipate sharing this unique occasion with them”.

Restoring Maritime Strength and Command Shifts

The president has pledged to restore the navy’s vessel construction capacity after concerns indicating the service risks forfeiting its position as the globe's dominant naval power.

America's naval fleet stands at its lowest numbers from prior to World War II, while government-supported Chinese shipyards have surpassed the output of US shipyards.

Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, appointed in March, noted immediate action as lacking in naval shipbuilding and directed an accelerated production schedule for new submarine classes.

The naval festivities come after months of turmoil in the Defense Department as Hegseth rearranges the armed forces' top leadership across various service branches.

New Directives and Training Proposals

During a contentious speech to senior officers recently, Hegseth declared an end to progressive ideologies , introduced new directives such as uniform physical standards in fitness tests.

“The only mission of the newly restored Department of War is this: warfighting, preparing for war and preparing to win, unrelenting and uncompromising in that pursuit not because we want war, no one here wants war, but it’s because we love peace,” Hegseth stated.

At the meeting, Trump suggested utilizing US cities as training grounds for troops , discussed needing armed strength to address what he termed an internal invasion.