President Donald Trump has asserted that the United States was the target of an attack by a boat carrying Venezuelan gang members, which resulted in the deaths of 11 individuals. The president stated that the vessel was transporting illegal narcotics through international waters to the U.S., citing the incident as an instance of external aggression. Trump also revealed that he signed a still-secret directive in July instructing the Pentagon to use military force against certain Latin American drug cartels that his administration has labeled ‘terrorist’ organizations.