Trump hails action as warning to drug traffickers
President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that US forces had launched a lethal strike against a boat allegedly tied to Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua cartel, killing 11 people in the southern Caribbean. The incident took place in international waters, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Rubio confirmed the vessel had sailed from Venezuela, describing the action as part of a broader campaign against cartel operations in the region.
Trump outlines mission
On Truth Social, Trump said: “This morning, under my direction, US forces carried out a kinetic operation targeting identified Tren de Aragua narcoterrorists in SOUTHCOM’s jurisdiction.” He accused the cartel of working under Nicolás Maduro’s protection while engaging in drug smuggling, sex trafficking, and violence throughout the Americas.
He added: “Let this be a message to anyone considering smuggling narcotics into the United States. You will be stopped.”
Washington formally designated Tren de Aragua a foreign terrorist organization and a global terrorist entity earlier this year.
Rubio promises continued operations
Before departing for Mexico and Ecuador, Rubio told reporters that anti-cartel missions would go on. “We are committed to confronting these groups that are killing Americans by flooding our streets with narcotics,” he said. Pressed on the legal justification for targeting the cartels militarily, Rubio declined to elaborate, saying only that “everything was done in accordance with the proper process.”
Trump later told the press the military had “just taken out a drug vessel” and warned: “This is only the beginning. There’s plenty more where that came from.”
Growing US presence in the Caribbean
A defense official confirmed the strike as a “precision mission,” but offered no additional details. CNN previously reported that over 4,000 Marines and sailors had been sent to the Caribbean and Latin America, expanding the administration’s ability to act against criminal organizations in the region.
Tom Karako, a defense expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noted that such missions are rarely acknowledged publicly. “It wouldn’t shock me if there were numerous similar operations that never became public,” he said.
Maduro denounces US actions
Venezuela’s president blasted the strike, calling it “a criminal and violent act.” Maduro said his government had prepared for “maximum readiness” in response to what he described as Washington’s “maximum pressure” strategy.
The Trump administration has previously raised its bounty on Maduro to $50 million, accusing him of overseeing drug trafficking operations.
The strike marks a dramatic step in US policy toward Latin American cartels — treating them as terrorist organizations and authorizing direct military action against their networks.
