In a significant military operation, the United States has conducted a strike in the southern Caribbean, targeting a vessel allegedly carrying narcotics and resulting in the deaths of 11 individuals described by President Donald Trump as “Narcoterrorists.”
The operation, which took place on Tuesday, was aimed at members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, according to a social media post by the President.
President Trump stated that the vessel was in international waters and was transporting illegal narcotics destined for the United States.
This strike is the latest in a series of escalating military and political pressures exerted by the Trump administration against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
These measures have included a $50 million reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest on drug-trafficking charges.
In a statement to reporters in the Oval Office, President Trump confirmed that US forces had “shot out” a “drug-carrying boat” near Venezuela, emphasizing that it contained a “lot of drugs.”
He further elaborated on his Truth Social platform, stating that the “kinetic strike” was conducted under his orders against “positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists.”
He confirmed that the strike resulted in 11 casualties with no harm to US forces. The President’s post was accompanied by a grainy aerial video showing a motorboat engulfed in flames after an explosion.
The Venezuelan government has not officially responded, but the communications minister, Freddy Ñáñez, suggested on social media, without providing evidence, that the video shared by Trump could be artificially generated.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also confirmed the operation on X, stating that “today the US military conducted a lethal strike in the southern Caribbean against a drug vessel which had departed from Venezuela and was being operated by a designated narco-terrorist organisation”. The specific type of narcotics the vessel was carrying remains unclear.
This incident occurs as the Trump administration continues to designate several Latin American drug-trafficking organizations as terrorist groups, including Tren de Aragua and the “Cartel of the Suns,” which US authorities allege is led by President Maduro and other high-ranking Venezuelan officials.
Over the past two months, the US military has increased its presence in the southern Caribbean, deploying additional naval vessels and thousands of personnel.
This buildup has been met with strong condemnation from the Venezuelan government, with President Maduro vowing to “declare a republic in arms” in response to any potential US attack.
President Trump has indicated that further actions could be forthcoming, stating, “There’s more where that came from.”
