President Donald Trump says the U.S. military sank a boat carrying drugs off the coast of Venezuela, potentially increasing tensions in a region where the U.S. has sought to clamp down on drug trafficking.

During an Oval Office exchange with reporters on Tuesday, President Trump said the U.S. "shot out" the boat.

"A lot of things are coming out of Venezuela, so we took it out," President Trump said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the fatal sinking on social media, saying the vessel was run by a "designated narco-terrorist organization."

In August, three U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers were deployed off the coast of Venezuela as part of President Donald Trump’s plan to combat drug cartels in Latin America.

A source familiar with the move confirmed to Scripps News that the

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