‘I don’t give a sh*t…’: JD Vance defends US strike on Venezuelan vessel that killed 11

United States Vice President JD Vance said on Saturday that killing “cartel members” carrying drugs to America is the “best use” of the country’s military, days after the US forces struck a drug-carrying vessel in the southern Caribbean that had departed from Venezuela, killing 11 people.

“Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military,” JD Vance wrote in a post on X, to which a user replied and described the action as a “war crime”.

Also read: Did a Boat Strike in Caribbean Exceed Trump’s Authority to Use Military Force?

“Killing the citizens of another nation who are civilians without any due process is called a war crime,” the user named Brian Krassenstein wrote.

Dismissing the claim, the United States Vice President wrote, “I don’t give a sh*t what you call it.”

11 killed in US strike

The exchange comes days after the US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that American forces had carried out a strike against a vessel carrying “illegal narcotics” and heading towards the US, killing 11 “terrorists”. He claimed that the strike was conducted against “positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists”. The United States recognises Tren de Aragua, also known as TdA, as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization.”

Also read: Trump shares chilling footage of US military striking boat carrying ‘Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists’

He also shared a video from the strike showing the vessel exploding in flames and said that no US forces were harmed in the operation.

“Earlier this morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility. TDA is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, operating under the control of Nicolas Maduro, responsible for mass murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and acts of violence and terror across the United States and Western Hemisphere. The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States. The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. No U.S. Forces were harmed in this strike. Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America. BEWARE! Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!!!!!!!!!” Trump had written in a post on Truth Social.

The strike has led to heightened tensions between the United States and Venezuela.