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On Sunday, President Trump told a large gathering of sailors stating that US forces targeted another boat illegally transporting drugs off the shoreline of the South American nation the previous evening. He delivered these remarks during a ceremony marking the US navy’s two hundred and fiftieth birthday at the Norfolk naval base in Virginia.

Trump further stated that America would now start addressing drug trafficking occurring on land. It remained immediately clear whether Trump was referring to an operation announced on Friday by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.

Navy's Role in Counter-Drug Missions

During the address, the president commended the navy for supporting the mission to eliminate cartel terrorists from the seas. Trump claimed, “There are no boats in the water anymore. You can’t find them”.

US naval forces has additionally been deployed to join a military engagement against drug cartels, leading to multiple strikes across Caribbean waters on what the administration says are fast-boats involved in narcotics smuggling.

“Should drug smugglers cease arriving by sea, we must turn our attention to land routes, as they will be compelled to travel overland. Let me assure you, that will not end favorably for them,” the president warned.

International Response and Legal Concerns

The United Nations have censured the US strikes—actions that the US defends as counter narco-terrorist members belonging to Tren de Aragua, classified as a terrorist entity, on the high seas—as unlawful killings.

In September, the UN stated, “International law does not allow governments to simply murder alleged drug traffickers”. They added, “Criminal activities should be disrupted, investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the rule of law, including through international cooperation”.

Navy Celebrations During Government Shutdown

The navy celebrations take place amid a shutdown of the federal government which has resulted in some armed forces members serving without pay. The president blamed opposition Democrats of enabling the government closure , attempting “to destroy this wonderful celebration of the US Navy’s Birthday”.

On Friday night, the president posted on his social media site, “I believe, ‘THE SHOW MUST GO ON!’ This will be the largest Celebration in the History of the Navy. Thousands of our brave Active Duty Servicemembers and Military Families will be in attendance, and I look forward to this special day with all of them”.

Rebuilding Maritime Capacity and Command Shifts

The president vowed to restore the navy’s vessel construction capacity following concerns indicating the service is in danger of forfeiting its position as the world’s dominant maritime force.

The US fleet stands at its smallest size from before the second world war, while government-supported Chinese shipyards have surpassed the output of US shipyards.

Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, who was confirmed in March, has identified immediate action as lacking in naval shipbuilding , ordered an accelerated production schedule for the Columbia- and Virginia-class submarine programs.

The naval festivities come after a period of upheaval in the Defense Department as Hegseth restructures the military’s top leadership across various service branches.

Recent Directives and Training Proposals

During a contentious speech to senior officers last week, the defense secretary declared a termination to “woke” culture and introduced updated policies that include “gender-neutral” or “male-level” standards for physical fitness.

“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,” the secretary affirmed.

During the gathering, Trump proposed using US cities as training grounds for troops and spoke of requiring armed strength to combat what he called the “invasion from within”.