President Donald Trump is weighing military options as the armed conflict against Venezuela continues in the open sea.

Since September, the Department of Justice has conducted several strikes against alleged drug boats carrying "narco-terrorists" who are smuggling drugs into the U.S. The strikes have killed more than 80 people.

On Wednesday, senior military officials, including Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, presented Trump with updated options for potential operations in Venezuela, according to CBS News senior White House Reporter Jennifer Jacobs. Hegseth was joined by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine and other senior officials to brief Trump on military options, sources told the outlet.

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The report comes as the U.S. military conducted its 20th strike on boats in the Caribbean Sea, killing four people, a Pentagon official told CBS News.

The Trump administration has been tight-lipped about the operation, only saying that it was part of an anti-drug offensive.

Hegseth has said previously that the attacks are targeting narco-terrorists on known drug trafficking routes; however, officials haven't shown specific evidence that the boats were smuggling drugs or were a threat to the U.S. Some experts believe the strikes may have violated international law, even if they target known drug traffickers.

This week, United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk called for an investigation into the legality of the strikes, warning of "strong indications" of "extrajudicial killings."

The Department of Defence confirmed this week that the USS Gerald R. Ford and other warships entered the Southern Command's area of responsibility, including the Caribbean.

Meanwhile, Venezuela announced that it was launching a military exercise across the country, involving about 200,000 forces. Officials inside the country, including President Nicolas Maduro, believe the military strikes are aimed at forcing Maduro out of office.

During a recent 60 Minutes interview, when asked if Maduro's "days were numbered," Trump answered, "I would say yeah. I think so, yeah."

Trump has accused Maduro of being complicit with gangs that smuggle drugs into the U.S., but Maduro has rejected these claims.