US Military Strike Sinks Venezuelan Vessel, Kills 11 Suspected Traffickers

By Staff, Agencies

The US military carried out a strike in the southern Caribbean on Tuesday, destroying a Venezuelan vessel allegedly carrying narcotics and killing 11 people, President Donald Trump announced.

“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. He added, “And there’s more where that came from. We have a lot of drugs pouring into our country … These came out of Venezuela”.

Trump later released drone footage on Truth Social showing a speedboat exploding at sea before being engulfed in flames.

He said the attack targeted members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang the US designated as a terrorist organization in February. Caracas has consistently denied allegations that the group operates under the control of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

According to Trump, “The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. No US Forces were harmed in this strike”.

The Pentagon has not disclosed details on the type or quantity of drugs allegedly aboard the vessel, nor how the strike was carried out.

Analysts noted that destroying a suspected drug boat instead of seizing it and apprehending the crew is highly unusual and more closely resembles tactics from US counterterrorism operations against militant groups like al-Qaida.

The operation follows the deployment of seven US warships, a nuclear-powered submarine, and more than 4,500 sailors and Marines to the southern Caribbean as part of Trump’s pledge to intensify pressure on drug cartels.

Warships in the region include the USS San Antonio, USS Iwo Jima, and USS Fort Lauderdale, supported by P-8 spy planes conducting surveillance over international waters.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the shipment was likely bound for Trinidad or another Caribbean country. “Suffice it to say that the president is going to be on offense against drug cartels and drug trafficking in the United States,” Rubio declared.

The strike also comes amid heightened US pressure on Maduro. Last month, Washington doubled its reward for information leading to the Venezuelan leader’s arrest to $50 million, accusing him of ties to narcotics networks.

Venezuelan officials insist Tren de Aragua was dismantled during a 2023 prison raid and no longer operates domestically.