Trump Announces US Strike Kills 11 on Venezuelan Drug Boat

President Donald Trump confirmed that a US military strike in the southern Caribbean targeted a vessel allegedly transporting illegal narcotics from Venezuela, resulting in the deaths of 11 individuals. The operation, which Trump described as taking place in international waters, marked a significant escalation in his administration’s crackdown on drug cartels.

“We just shot out a drug-carrying boat—lots of drugs in that boat,” Trump stated during a press briefing, adding that no US forces were harmed. He identified the individuals killed as members of the Venezuelan gang _Tren de Aragua_, which the US designated as a terrorist organization earlier this year.

The strike, captured in a video Trump shared on his Truth Social platform, showed a speedboat engulfed in flames after being hit. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested the drugs on board were likely destined for the Caribbean or the US.

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The Venezuelan government, however, has pushed back, with officials denying the gang’s activity and accusing the US of using drug-trafficking claims as a pretext for aggression against President Nicolas Maduro’s administration. Tensions between the two nations have been further fueled by the US offering a $50 million reward for Maduro’s arrest on drug-related charges.