WASHINGTON (BN24) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a U.S. military strike in the southern Caribbean destroyed a vessel operated by Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang, killing 11 people in what marks one of the most significant American operations in the region in recent years.
Trump announced the strike in a social media post, calling it a direct action against narcotics trafficking networks attempting to move drugs from Venezuela toward the United States. He shared a short video showing a speedboat erupting in flames, describing the incident as a warning to cartels and criminal groups across Latin America.
“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. “No U.S. Forces were harmed in this strike. Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America.”
The video, grainy and filmed largely in black and white, showed what appeared to be a long, multi-engine speedboat before a bright flash engulfed the vessel. While Trump said 11 people were killed, the footage offered no clear evidence of those aboard nor visible confirmation of drug cargo.
Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan criminal organization that originated in the notorious Tocorón prison more than a decade ago, has expanded its reach as millions of Venezuelans fled the country’s economic collapse. The gang has been blamed by U.S. officials for fueling violence and drug trafficking across Latin America and into American cities. Trump repeated his assertion — disputed by U.S. intelligence agencies — that the group operates under the protection of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Maduro, appearing with first lady Cilia Flores on Venezuelan state television after Trump’s announcement, avoided addressing the strike directly but denounced U.S. actions as part of an effort to seize Venezuela’s natural resources. “In the face of imperialist threats, God is with us,” he told supporters in Caracas. Communications Minister Freddy Ñáñez went further, alleging the video Trump posted may have been fabricated using artificial intelligence, calling it “an almost cartoonish animation.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, traveling to Mexico and Ecuador for talks on drug cartels and regional security, stood alongside Trump in announcing the strike earlier Tuesday. Rubio declined to provide details, saying questions should be directed to the Pentagon, but argued the vessel’s drugs were likely bound for the Caribbean. He reiterated his long-standing view that the U.S. should confront cartels “wherever they are operating against the interests of the United States.”
The strike followed last month’s announcement that the U.S. would expand its maritime presence in the Caribbean with additional destroyers to counter Latin American drug cartels. In response, Maduro deployed troops to Venezuela’s coastal and border regions while urging civilians to join local militias. He has accused Washington of fabricating a narrative of Venezuelan complicity in drug smuggling to justify intervention.
The United Nations World Drug Report shows most cocaine shipments flow through Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, while Venezuela plays a comparatively smaller role. Still, U.S. officials have insisted Venezuelan waters serve as a corridor for traffickers connected to transnational criminal networks.
Maduro warned Monday that if U.S. forces attempted direct action against Venezuela itself, he would “constitutionally declare a republic in arms” to defend the nation.
The strike highlights an escalating clash between Washington and Caracas as Trump intensifies efforts to choke off narcotics routes and put new pressure on Maduro’s government.
