The United States military has carried out a lethal strike against a Venezuelan vessel in international waters, killing 11 people in what marks the first known operation since Washington’s recent naval buildup in the Caribbean.
President Donald Trump confirmed the action on Truth Social, declaring: “Earlier this morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility.”
He identified the target as members of Tren de Aragua (TDA), which he described as “a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation, operating under the control of Nicolás Maduro, responsible for mass murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and acts of violence and terror across the United States and Western Hemisphere.”
According to the president, the strike targeted a vessel allegedly transporting illegal narcotics to the United States. Eleven people were killed, with no U.S. casualties reported.
Speaking later at the White House, Trump told reporters: “We just, over the last few minutes, literally shot out a boat, a drug-carrying boat, a lot of drugs in that boat… 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.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed the statement on social media, describing the incident as “a lethal strike in the southern Caribbean against a drug vessel which had departed from Venezuela and was being operated by a designated narco-terrorist organisation.”
The strike follows an unprecedented U.S. naval build-up in the region, significantly exceeding the typical American presence. Seven U.S. warships and one nuclear-powered fast attack submarine are currently deployed or en route to the southern Caribbean, bringing an estimated 4,500 sailors and Marines.
The force includes the USS San Antonio, USS Iwo Jima, and USS Fort Lauderdale — all capable of launching helicopters and Tomahawk cruise missiles. U.S. P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft have also been conducting intelligence-gathering missions in international waters.
The Venezuelan government has not yet issued a response to the incident.
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