Trump calls strike a message to drug traffickers
President Donald Trump confirmed Tuesday that US military forces carried out a strike on a vessel reportedly linked to Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua cartel, resulting in 11 deaths. The operation took place in international waters in the southern Caribbean, according to officials.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the ship had departed from Venezuela and described the strike as a move to disrupt the cartel’s trafficking network in the region.
Trump defends the operation
On Truth Social, Trump stated: “Under my orders, US forces conducted a precision strike against identified Tren de Aragua narcoterrorists in SOUTHCOM’s area of responsibility. This organization, operating under Nicolás Maduro, is responsible for murders, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and acts of terror throughout the Americas.”
He added: “Let this serve as a warning to anyone attempting to bring drugs into the United States—you will be stopped.”
Earlier this year, the US State Department designated Tren de Aragua as both a foreign terrorist organization and a global terrorist entity.
Rubio emphasizes continued action
Before departing for Mexico and Ecuador, Rubio said US counter-narcotics operations would continue. “We will target the cartels that are flooding American communities with drugs and putting lives in danger,” he said. Asked about the legal authority for the strike, Rubio declined to provide details, noting only that the groups involved had been formally classified as terrorist organizations.
Trump later told reporters that US forces had “just eliminated a drug-carrying vessel” and indicated that further operations were planned.
Strengthened US presence
A senior defense official confirmed the strike was a “precision mission” but provided no additional information. Reports indicate that over 4,000 US Marines and sailors are deployed across the Caribbean and Latin America, enhancing Washington’s capacity to conduct direct operations against cartel networks.
Defense analyst Tom Karako of the Center for Strategic and International Studies noted that such actions are rarely publicized. “It wouldn’t surprise me if multiple similar strikes have already occurred quietly,” he said.
Maduro condemns the strike
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro denounced the attack as “criminal and violent” and stated that his government is prepared for “maximum readiness” in response to US pressure.
The Trump administration had previously offered a $50 million bounty on Maduro, accusing him of directing cartel-linked drug trafficking.
The strike marks a significant escalation in US policy toward Latin American cartels, treating them as terrorist organizations and authorizing direct military intervention.
