U.S. Strike on Venezuelan Drug Boat Kills 11; Officials Say It 'Will Happen Again'

U.S. forces struck a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday, killing 11 people identified by U.S. officials as members of the Caracas-linked group Tren de Aragua, U.S. officials said.

Acting Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also serving as acting national security adviser, said Wednesday during a visit to Mexico that the operation "will happen again" if cartels continue to traffic drugs into the United States. "The United States has long, for many, many years, established intelligence that allow us to interdict and stop drug boats, and we did that and it doesn’t work," he said. "What will stop them is when you blow them up, when you get rid of them."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking to media, framed the operation as part of a broader effort to confront drug trafficking. "We're not going to allow this kind of activity. You're poisoning our people," he said.

U.S. officials described the target as a drug boat linked to Tren de Aragua, a group based in Caracas that U.S. authorities have labeled involved in trafficking and violent crime. The use of Navy firepower to destroy the vessel marked a sharp departure from a long-standing practice in which the U.S. Coast Guard, operating under domestic law-enforcement authorities, would interdict ships, seize contraband and arrest suspected smugglers.

Administration officials said the strike relied on intelligence developed over time to locate and track the vessel. They portrayed the action as part of a tougher posture toward transnational criminal organizations that traffic illegal narcotics into the United States.

Video and still images circulated on social media showing what supporters of the operation described as the moment of the strike. U.S. officials did not immediately release detailed operational accounts, including the precise location of the engagement, the type of munitions used or whether any noncombatants were aboard.

The incident is likely to raise questions about the legal framework for using military force in maritime drug interdiction and about the potential diplomatic fallout with Venezuela. U.S. officials have characterized Tren de Aragua as a criminal organization with ties to violence and drug trafficking; Venezuelan government statements about the strike were not immediately available.

In Washington, the administration emphasized a willingness to pursue similar strikes in the future if smugglers and cartel-affiliated groups continue to operate in waters that U.S. officials say facilitate the flow of narcotics to the United States. "We're going to take on drug cartels wherever they are and wherever they're operating against the interests of the United States," Rubio said.

U.S. policymakers and legal advisers will face decisions on how to balance maritime security operations with international law and the domestic law-enforcement role traditionally played by the Coast Guard. Officials said further operational details and assessments were under review and that officials would provide updates as they become available.