Trump warns traffickers after military action
President Donald Trump confirmed Tuesday that US forces carried out a military strike against a vessel allegedly linked to Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua cartel, resulting in 11 deaths. The attack occurred in international waters in the southern Caribbean.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the vessel as part of a well-known drug-smuggling route from Venezuela and emphasized that the strike was aimed at disrupting cartel operations in the region.
Trump defends the strike
On Truth Social, Trump stated: “At my orders, US forces executed a precision strike on identified Tren de Aragua narcoterrorists in SOUTHCOM’s area. This group, under Nicolás Maduro, has been responsible for murders, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and acts of terror across the Americas.”
He added: “Let this be a warning to anyone considering smuggling drugs into the United States—you will be stopped.”
Earlier this year, the US State Department officially designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization and a global terrorist entity.
Rubio signals continued operations
Before departing for Mexico and Ecuador, Rubio said the US would continue its counter-narcotics efforts. “We will confront the cartels responsible for flooding American communities with drugs and endangering lives,” he said. When questioned about the legal authority for the strike, Rubio declined to comment directly, noting only that the groups had been formally classified as terrorist organizations.
Trump later told reporters that US forces had “just taken out a drug-carrying vessel” and suggested additional operations could follow.
US bolsters presence in the Caribbean
A senior defense official confirmed the operation as a “precision strike” but did not provide further details. Reports indicate that more than 4,000 US Marines and sailors are deployed throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, enhancing the military’s capacity for direct action against cartel networks.
Defense analyst Tom Karako of the Center for Strategic and International Studies noted that such operations are often not publicized. “It wouldn’t surprise me if several similar strikes have been carried out quietly,” he said.
Maduro responds
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned the strike as “criminal and violent,” adding that his government is prepared for “maximum readiness” in response to US pressure.
The Trump administration had previously placed a $50 million bounty on Maduro, accusing him of overseeing cartel-led drug trafficking operations.
The strike represents a major escalation in US policy toward Latin American cartels, treating them as terrorist organizations and authorizing direct military intervention.
