WASHINGTON/UNITED NATIONS - The US military on Wednesday sank one more alleged drug boat in international waters in the eastern Pacific, killing four men, the US Southern Command said.

The vessel was operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations and US intelligence confirmed that it "was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations," said the command in a post on X.

"A total of four male narco-terrorists were killed, and no US military forces were harmed," the post said.

The strike was conducted at the direction of US War Secretary Pete Hegseth, said the post, with no evidence offered.

Since early September, the Pentagon has sunk more than 26 alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean, killing at least 99 people aboard.

In recent weeks, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that the US military would begin land strikes targeting drug traffickers in the Caribbean "very soon," escalating tension between the United States and Venezuela.

The Trump administration last week seized an oil tanker near the coast of Venezuela and announced new sanctions on four Venezuelans and six companies shipping oil from Venezuela.

For almost four months, the United States has maintained a significant military presence in the Caribbean, much of it off Venezuela's coast, purportedly to combat drug trafficking -- a claim Venezuela has denounced as a thinly veiled attempt to bring about regime change in Caracas. 

Trump demands Venezuela 'return' assets to US

Trump on Wednesday demanded Venezuela return assets that he accused the oil-rich South American nation took from US oil companies years ago. 

"They took our oil rights -- we had a lot of oil there. As you know they threw our companies out, and we want it back," Trump told reporters in the White House, referring to Venezuela's nationalization of its oil sector in the 1970s and under President Nicolas Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez.  

In a social media post, Stephen Miller, Trump's deputy chief of staff, on Wednesday described Venezuela's nationalization of its oil industry as "the largest recorded theft of American wealth and property."

"These pillaged assets were then used to fund terrorism and flood our streets with killers, mercenaries and drugs," Miller claimed.

On Tuesday, Trump said he ordered a total blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers traveling to and from Venezuela, escalating a months-long pressure campaign against Maduro.

'A grave, reckless move'

Venezuela on Wednesday rejected Trump's order to impose a maritime blockade against the country, deeming it a grave, reckless move in violation of international law.

A day after Trump's order, the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) issued a statement, calling Trump's decision a violation of the principles of free trade and freedom of navigation, and revealing that Washington's true motives are to appropriate Venezuela's energy and natural resources.

Venezuela will not accept any form of intervention, and will continue to defend its independence against any colonial or imperial threat, it said.

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez on Wednesday told a press conference that Washington's action revealed "desperation," describing Trump's announcement as "delusional."

He said that the Caribbean Sea is governed by international laws regarding freedom of navigation, cooperation, and trade, and not a region under the exclusive control of any single power.

"The president of the United States has said that we are the thieves of the oil that lies beneath our soil. That is completely incoherent," said the official.

Also on Wednesday, thousands of Venezuelans rallied in Caracas to reject "the US threats" of a naval blockade, voicing support for national sovereignty.

UN chief urges de-escalation 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for restraint and the immediate de-escalation of the situation in the Caribbean, a UN spokesperson said Wednesday.

In response to questions over the latest US moves against Venezuela, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN chief, told reporters at a daily briefing that Guterres is following the current situation very closely and is engaging with relevant parties.

The secretary-general calls on all stakeholders to honor their obligations under international law, including the UN Charter and any other applicable legal framework, to safeguard peace in the region, said Haq.

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He said that Guterres believes that any difference must be resolved by peaceful means.

If Venezuela brings the issue to the United Nations, much of that will probably be an issue to consider for the members of the Security Council, said the spokesperson.

Haq added that, at this stage, it is critical to continue diplomatic engagement and pursue a peaceful way forward through dialogue.

63% of US voters oppose military action

Meanwhile, as many as 63 percent of US voters said they oppose US military action inside Venezuela, according to a new poll released Wednesday.

Only 25 percent of the interviewed said they support such military operations, a Quinnipiac University poll found.

Up to 89 percent of Democrats said they are against US military action on the oil-rich South American nation, followed by 68 percent of independents and 33 percent of Republicans.

The poll found 52 percent of Republicans, 19 percent of independents and 4 percent of Democrats approve of military action inside Venezuela.

More than half of the poll responders, 53 percent, also said they oppose the Pentagon's strikes on alleged drug boats in international waters in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since September.

Also on Wednesday, two Democratic-led resolutions seeking to limit the Trump administration's military actions against Venezuela, including strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats, were narrowly defeated in the Republican-controlled US House.

READ MORE: Trump says US seizes oil tanker off coast of Venezuela

One measure would have barred the White House from engaging in hostilities against any presidentially designated terrorist group in the Western Hemisphere without congressional approval. It failed 210-216, with two Republicans voting yes and two Democrats voting no.

The second would have required  Trump to withdraw US armed forces from hostilities in or against Venezuela absent congressional authorization. It failed 211-213, with three Republicans, including Marjorie Taylor Greene, joining all but one Democrat in support.

Amid continuous boat strikes, Trump repeatedly said in recent weeks that the US military would begin land strikes targeting drug traffickers in the Caribbean "very soon."