US Military Conducts First Precision Strike on Venezuelan Drug Smuggling Vessel in Caribbean
The United States claimed to have killed 11 in a strike on a vessel linked to the Tren de Aragua criminal group in the southern Caribbean.
President Donald Trump announced the strike on Tuesday, saying the vessel, carrying “illegal narcotics,” was destroyed in international waters on his orders. “The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The strike is the first known military action under Trump’s secret August authorization to use force against foreign drug cartels. Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan criminal group, is designated a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration.
Trump said the group is operating under the control of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro and is “responsible for mass murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and acts of violence and terror across the United States and Western Hemisphere.”
Video released by the president shows what appears to be a small vessel hit by missile fire.
According to Trump, no U.S. forces were harmed in this strike. He further said: “Let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States. Beware!”
In a post on X, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the “drug vessel” was from Venezuela. Rubio later told reporters he believed the drugs allegedly carried on the boat were probably headed toward Trinidad and Tobago or “some other country in the Caribbean.”
Neither Trump nor Rubio disclosed specifics about the attack, such as the U.S. assets involved, the basis for the strike, or whether any drugs were recovered.
As of this writing, Venezuela has not issued an official statement on the strike. After Trump’s announcement, state television showed Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores walking through his childhood neighborhood, with a presenter saying he was “bathing in patriotic love” as he greeted supporters.
“In the face of imperialist threats, God is with us,” Maduro told the crowd.
Maduro did not address the strike directly, but accused the U.S. of targeting Venezuela’s wealth, including its vast oil and gas reserves. “From the neighborhoods of Caracas, I tell you there will be peace in Venezuela, with sovereignty,” he said.
The strike followed last month’s U.S. announcement that the Navy would increase its presence near Venezuela as part of an anti-drug cartel mission. Seven U.S. warships and a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine are in the region or expected to arrive soon, bringing more than 4,500 sailors and Marines.
Maduro, who has repeatedly denied U.S. accusations, earlier condemned the deployment as a threat to Venezuela’s sovereignty and announced the mobilization of more than four million militia members.
On Tuesday, Venezuela deployed warships and drones to patrol its coastline in response to the U.S. naval buildup.
