US forces kill 11 in strike on Venezuelan drug-smuggling vessel

The United States conducted a military strike Tuesday against a drug-carrying vessel in international waters near Venezuela, killing 11 members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, President Donald Trump announced.

The operation targeted narcotics traffickers attempting to smuggle illegal drugs bound for the US. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said US forces “shot out” the boat, adding that the vessel carried “a lot of drugs.” He was briefed on the incident by General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump confirmed the strike resulted in 11 deaths, with no casualties among US forces. He warned, “Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America. BEWARE!”

The announcement included a video showing a motorboat on choppy seas before catching fire.

Venezuela’s communications minister, Freddy Ñáñez, questioned the authenticity of the video, suggesting it could be AI-generated, but provided no evidence.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also confirmed the strike, calling it a “lethal strike” against a vessel operated by a “designated narco-terrorist organisation.”

The Trump administration has increased pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, offering a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest on drug-trafficking charges. Maduro has vowed to resist any US military intervention and condemned recent US military deployments in the region.

The US has bolstered its forces in the southern Caribbean in recent months, deploying additional naval vessels and thousands of Marines and sailors as part of efforts to combat drug trafficking.

“There’s more where that came from,” Trump said, signaling ongoing action against drug trafficking networks.