SECOND U.S. SOUTHCOM STRIKE SINKS VENEZUELAN DRUG BOAT HEADING FOR U.S. BORDER; 3 KILLED

President Donald Trump said U.S. forces carried out a second kinetic strike in the SOUTHCOM area on a Venezuelan-linked drug vessel headed toward the United States, killing three in international waters. The action follows an Aug. 31 strike that killed 11 and underscores an escalating, militarized counter-narcotics campaign near Venezuela. The administration frames the targets as narcoterrorists posing a threat to U.S. national security, with additional details from the Pentagon pending. The episode has significant border security and regional implications.