US Conducts Kinetic Strike on Venezuelan Drug Vessel, Killing 11

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States military carried out a kinetic strike on a vessel in the southern Caribbean suspected of transporting illegal narcotics from Venezuela, resulting in 11 fatalities, President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday.

President Trump told reporters at the White House that the operation “took out a boat-one that was carrying a significant amount of narcotics,” and stressed, “There’s more where that came from. We’ve been experiencing a surge of drugs entering our nation for a long time… These originated from Venezuela.” He later posted drone footage of the strike on his Truth Social platform, showing a speedboat engulfed in flames.

According to Trump, the crew was “positively identified” as members of the Tren de Aragua gang, designated by Washington as a foreign terrorist organization. “The operation resulted in the deaths of 11 terrorists. No U.S. personnel were injured in this action,” he said.

The Pentagon confirmed it conducted a “precision strike against a drug vessel operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization.” U.S. Southern Command has recently bolstered its naval presence in the Caribbean, deploying seven warships and a nuclear-powered attack submarine, along with surveillance aircraft, totaling over 4,500 sailors and Marines.

Venezuelan Communications Minister Freddy Ñáñez questioned the authenticity of the video released by Trump, suggesting it may have been generated by artificial intelligence. Reuters’ preliminary analysis found no obvious signs of manipulation, though verification is ongoing.

The strike marks a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s campaign to disrupt drug-trafficking networks in Latin America. Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirmed that U.S. forces will continue taking “offensive measures against drug cartels” to stem the flow of illicit narcotics into the United States.

In Caracas, President Nicolás Maduro has denounced the U.S. deployments as a prelude to aggression and mobilized thousands of troops along Venezuela’s coastline and border with Colombia. Maduro warned of declaring a “republic in arms” if U.S. forces directly threaten Venezuelan sovereignty.