President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States had attacked a vessel he said was carrying drugs in the U.S. Southern Command's area of responsibility, the latest U.S. strike in the region.

The latest strike — at least the third against alleged drug vessels — comes amid a large U.S. military buildup in the southern Caribbean. Five F-35 aircraft were seen landing in Puerto Rico on Saturday after the Trump administration ordered 10 of the stealth fighters to join the buildup.

In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump said the Pentagon carried out the strike on his orders, killing "3 male narcoterrorists aboard the vessel."