The U.S. military destroyed a boat carrying Venezuelan smugglers from the Tren de Aragua drug cartel on Wednesday. The attack in the Caribbean Sea, which killed 11 narcotraffickers, was justified. It was also aligned with President Donald Trump‘s preference for military actions that avoid quagmire-like wars.

Amid hyperventilating media coverage suggesting this strike was illegal under international law, we should first observe why this military action was justified. First, Tren de Aragua is a legally designated foreign terrorist organization responsible for killing hundreds of innocent civilians across Latin America and on U.S. soil. Based in Venezuela but with a presence across Latin America and the continental United States, the group is enabled by Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, who receives monetary compensation in return for his support.