President Donald Trump says the US has carried out a strike against a drug-carrying vessel in the southern Caribbean, killing 11 “Narcoterrorists”.
He posted on social media that Tuesday’s US military operation had targeted members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
Trump said the vessel was in international waters and was transporting illegal narcotics bound for the US.
Pressure on Venezuela
The Trump administration has ratcheted up military and political pressure against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in recent weeks.
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$50m (£37m) reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest on drug-trafficking charges.
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Maduro vowed Venezuela would fight any attempted US military intervention.
Oval Office Briefing
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump said that US forces had “shot out” a “drug-carrying boat” in the vicinity of Venezuela.
“A lot of drugs in that boat,” he said.
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Trump said he had been briefed by General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Truth Social Announcement
Later the president posted on his Truth Social platform:
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“Earlier this morning, on my Orders, US Military Forces conducted a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility.”
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“The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. No US Forces were harmed in this strike.”
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He warned: “Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America. BEWARE!”
The post included a grainy aerial video showing a motor boat speeding across waters before bursting into flames.
Venezuela’s Response
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Venezuela’s communications minister, Freddy Ñáñez, suggested—without evidence—that Trump’s video was AI-generated.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on X that the vessel had departed Venezuela and was operated by a narco-terrorist group.
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It remains unclear what drugs the vessel was carrying.
Targeting Venezuelan Groups
Since returning to the White House in January, the Trump administration has designated several organisations as terrorist groups.
These include:
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Tren de Aragua
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Cartel of the Suns – allegedly headed by President Maduro and senior government officials.
US Military Buildup in the Caribbean
The US military has increased its presence over the last two months.
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Deployment of additional naval vessels.
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Thousands of US Marines and sailors.
Trump has signalled his administration’s readiness to use force to block drug flows into the US.
“THERE’S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM,” TRUMP SAID OF THE STRIKE.
Maduro’s Warning
Venezuela’s government has reacted angrily to the deployments.
On Monday, Maduro vowed to “declare a republic in arms” if the US attacked, describing the deployments as:
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“The greatest threat that has been seen on our continent in the last 100 years.”
