Howell, Michigan - Vice President JD Vance joked about the murder of at least 14 Venezuelan fishermen while on stage in Michigan, and swore at a political commentator on X about the incident.

"Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military," Vance said on X, days after the Trump administration's murder of 14 people in international waters close to Venezuela.

In response, political commentator Brian Krassenstein pointed out that "Killing the citizens of another nation who are civilians without any due process is called a war crime."

This immediately drew the ire of Vance, who quickly sniped back with a message that simply read "I don't give a s**t what you call it."

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Weeks after the incident, Vance doubled down on his defense of the strikes while taking to the stage at a Michigan rally on Tuesday.

During his speech, Vance recalled a conversation he'd had with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, claiming that the latter had mentioned that no more so-called "drug boats" were coming to the US.

"I said, 'I know why!'" Vance recounted during his speech. "I would stop, too – hell, I wouldn't go fishing right now in that area of the world."

The comments seemingly admitted that the people aboard the Venezuelan boat were civilian fishermen, not drug smugglers on their way to the US.

Last week, Democratic Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed said that he had been provided "no positive identification that the boat was Venezuelan." At the same time, Venezuelan officials accused the Trump administration of murder.

"I am proud to have a president who is sending our military to light up the cartels that threaten our people in our own backyard," Vance told the crowd in Michigan.