WASHINGTON

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended a strike by the American military on what he previously described as a Venezuela-linked “drug vessel,” saying the operation was part of a broader campaign against narcotics trafficking.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday at Homestead Air Reserve Base in Florida before heading to Mexico, Rubio, who also serves as President Donald Trump's National Security Advisor, said the ship was operating along a “common route” for drug smuggling in the Caribbean and indicated that similar missions would continue.

“As long as those vessels are in the region and as long as the president’s in the White House, he’s made very clear he’s not going to allow the United States to continue to be flooded with cocaine and fentanyl,” he said.

Rubio deferred to the Pentagon for specifics on the type of drugs seized, the cartel involved and potential future operations.