WASHINGTON. The U.S. military killed 11 people Tuesday in a strike on a vessel from Venezuela allegedly carrying illegal narcotics, President Donald Trump said, marking the first known operation since his administration deployed warships to the southern Caribbean.
Trump told reporters at the White House, “We just, over the last few minutes, literally shot out a boat, a drug-carrying boat, a lot of drugs in that boat,” adding, “And there’s more where that came from. We have a lot of drugs pouring into our country, coming in for a long time … These came out of Venezuela.”
He later shared a video on his Truth Social platform showing what appeared to be drone footage of a speedboat at sea exploding and catching fire.
“The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. No U.S. Forces were harmed in this strike,” Trump said. He added that the crew had been identified as members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which the U.S. designated a terrorist group in February, and repeated allegations that the group is controlled by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, accusations Caracas denies.
The Venezuelan Communications Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Pentagon has not released details about the attack, including the type or quantity of drugs on board, or how the strike was carried out.
The decision to destroy a suspected drug vessel instead of seizing it is unusual and evokes U.S. operations against militant groups such as al Qaeda. The strike appeared to be the first military action following the deployment of U.S. warships in the southern Caribbean aimed at cracking down on drug cartels.
Seven U.S. warships, along with a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, are in the region or expected to arrive soon, carrying more than 4,500 sailors and Marines. Ships include USS San Antonio, USS Iwo Jima, and USS Fort Lauderdale, capable of deploying helicopters and Tomahawk cruise missiles. The U.S. military has also been flying P-8 spy planes over international waters in the region.
Speaking to reporters, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “These particular drugs were probably headed to Trinidad or some other country in the Caribbean,” and added, “Suffice it to say that the president is going to be on offense against drug cartels and drug trafficking in the United States.”
Trump’s focus on Maduro has raised concerns in Caracas that their government may be the real target. Last month, the United States doubled its reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, citing links to drug trafficking and criminal groups. Venezuelan officials have said Tren de Aragua is no longer active in the country after a 2023 prison raid dismantled the group.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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