The latest strike came a day after US President Trump confirmed he had authorised CIA operations in Venezuela.

The Trump administration has asserted that it is treating alleged drug traffickers as unlawful combatants who must be met with military force.

Tuesday's strike is the fifth known US attack on a vessel off the Venezuelan coast, bringing the total death toll to 27.

The U.S. military on Tuesday morning carried out its fifth strike on an alleged drug-running vessel in the Caribbean Sea and killed all six crew members.

The latest strike came a day after US President Trump confirmed he had authorised CIA operations in Venezuela.

There have been at least six incidents of US strikes on boats in Venezuelan waters since the beginning of September.

Trump confirms attack on drug-carrying submarine in Caribbean, sparking legal and political debate over military actions.