Trump says US strike on vessel from Venezuela killed 11
President says the boat carried illegal narcotics and was linked to Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua; Maduro has warned against US intervention
President Donald Trump said the United States carried out a military strike on a drug-carrying vessel in the southern Caribbean on Tuesday, killing 11 people he described as "narcoterrorists."
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the vessel was in international waters and was transporting illegal narcotics bound for the United States. He said the operation targeted members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
The president posted a video on his social media platform showing a motorboat speeding across choppy waters before it bursts into flames. He said US forces had "shot out" the vessel and that he had been briefed on the incident by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine.
Trump described the casualties as members of Tren de Aragua, a group US officials and regional authorities have previously linked to criminal activity, including drug trafficking. The president said the strike occurred in international waters and reiterated that a large quantity of illegal drugs was aboard.
The operation marks a sharp escalation of pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. In recent weeks the Trump administration has intensified political and military measures against Caracas, including offering a $50m reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest on drug-trafficking charges. Maduro has repeatedly vowed that Venezuela would resist any attempted US military intervention.
The White House provided the president's remarks and the posted video as the principal public account of the action. Trump characterized the individuals killed as threats to the United States because of their role in narcotics smuggling. The administration did not immediately provide additional operational details, such as which US service carried out the strike or the precise coordinates of the encounter.
The claim that the vessel originated from Venezuela and was bound for the United States rests on statements from the president and administration officials. Independent confirmation of the strike's full circumstances, including the identities of those killed and the shipment's destination, was not available at the time of the president's remarks.
The incident is likely to draw close scrutiny from regional governments and international observers given the heightened tensions between Washington and Caracas. It follows other recent US actions aimed at pressuring the Maduro government and addressing transnational criminal networks operating in the region.