US Conducts Strike on Venezuelan Drug Vessel; Maduro Vows “Republic in Arms” Amid Rising Tensions

Washington, September 2, 2025 - The United States military carried out a lethal strike on Tuesday against a drug-smuggling vessel that had departed from Venezuela, U.S. officials confirmed, while Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro declared his country in a state of “maximum preparedness” and threatened to proclaim a “republic in arms” if Washington’s naval buildup escalates.

By midday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on X that U.S. forces had targeted a vessel in the southern Caribbean Sea operated by a “designated narco-terrorist organization,” following President Trump’s remark that U.S. forces had “shot out” the boat moments earlier. Details remain sparse, and the Pentagon has not provided casualty figures or specifics on the strike’s execution.

President Trump, addressing reporters in the Oval Office, characterized the operation as part of his administration’s intensified efforts against Latin American drug cartels. He said the vessel was actively transporting large quantities of narcotics bound for the United States. This marks the first confirmed U.S. military action since additional warships-including guided-missile destroyers and a fast-attack submarine-were deployed to the southern Caribbean under the Trump administration’s anti-drug mission.

In Caracas, President Maduro repudiated the strike as an act of aggression, denouncing the U.S. naval deployment of seven warships and more than 4,500 sailors and Marines as an “extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral and absolutely criminal and bloody threat”. At a press conference, he announced the mobilization of 15,000 troops along Venezuela’s coast and its border with Colombia and urged citizens to enlist in a civilian militia. Maduro warned that any U.S. attack would compel him to constitutionally declare a “republic in arms” to defend national sovereignty.

Maduro’s Foreign Minister, Yván Gil, further contested the U.S. narrative by citing United Nations data showing that the vast majority of cocaine leaves Colombia via the Pacific, with only a minimal fraction transiting through Venezuela. He called on regional leaders to demand an end to what he described as a false pretext for threatening Venezuela.

Analysts warn that the U.S. strike may further escalate already fraught relations between the two nations, raising concerns about miscalculation and potential broader military engagement in the region. As of now, both Washington and Caracas remain steadfast in their positions, with few signs of immediate de-escalation.