The U.S. military killed 11 people in a strike on a vessel from Venezuela allegedly carrying narcotics, President Donald Trump announced Tuesday, marking the first known operation since his administration’s recent deployment of warships to the southern Caribbean.
“We just, over the last few minutes, literally shot out a boat—a drug-carrying boat, a lot of drugs in that boat,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “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.”
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Trump later shared drone footage on his Truth Social platform showing a speedboat exploding and catching fire at sea. “The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. No U.S. forces were harmed,” he wrote, claiming the crew were members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan criminal organization that Washington designated a terrorist group in February. Trump again accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of controlling the gang, a charge Caracas has denied.
The Pentagon has not yet released details on the type or quantity of drugs aboard the vessel, nor how the strike was carried out. The choice to destroy a suspected narcotics boat rather than seize it and arrest its crew is highly unusual and has drawn comparisons to U.S. counterterrorism campaigns against groups like al Qaeda.
In recent weeks, the U.S. has increased its naval presence in the Caribbean, sending seven warships—including USS San Antonio, USS Iwo Jima, and USS Fort Lauderdale—along with a nuclear-powered attack submarine and more than 4,500 sailors and Marines. The buildup significantly exceeds normal deployments, with ships capable of launching helicopters, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and surveillance aircraft.
U.S. officials have also confirmed the use of P-8 spy planes to collect intelligence over international waters. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested the destroyed vessel’s cargo was likely bound for Trinidad or another Caribbean nation. “Suffice it to say that the president is going to be on offense against drug cartels and drug trafficking in the United States,” Rubio said.
The operation has raised fresh concerns in Caracas that Maduro himself could be a target. Washington doubled its reward for information leading to his arrest to $50 million last month, alleging links between the Venezuelan leader, narcotics trafficking, and organized crime. Venezuelan officials, meanwhile, insist Tren de Aragua was dismantled during a prison raid in 2023 and no longer operates in the country.
The Venezuelan Communications Ministry has not yet responded to requests for comment.
