U.S. Navy Intercepts Vessel,Claims Strike on Suspected Drug Shipment in Caribbean
WASHINGTON – The U.S.Navy engaged a vessel in the southern Caribbean Sea, reportedly destroying it after identifying it as carrying a Venezuelan drug shipment, according to statements made by President Trump on Tuesday. Trump told reporters during an Oval Office event that the operation occurred “over the last few minutes,(we) literally shot out a a boat,a drug carrying boat,a lot of drugs in that boat.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio afterward confirmed the incident via a post on X (formerly Twitter), characterizing it as a “lethal strike” against a vessel operated by a “designated narco-terrorist organization.” Trump later elaborated on Truth Social, claiming 11 individuals were killed, identifying them as “terrorists” affiliated with Venezuela‘s tren de Aragua gang, and shared a video labeled “unclassified” depicting the strike on a speedboat equipped with four outboard motors.
The action follows a period of escalating tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela.Washington accuses Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of leading a drug cartel and has offered a $50 million bounty for details leading to his arrest or conviction. Just over a week prior, the U.S. deployed the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group-a contingent of warships-to waters off Venezuela’s coast.
Maduro has responded by declaring “maximum preparedness,” stating that 4.5 million militia members are prepared to defend Venezuela against potential intervention. He alleges the U.S. military buildup signals an intent to overthrow his government. Maduro was sworn in for a third six-year term in january 2025, an election widely criticized internationally as fraudulent.
This is not the first instance of U.S. naval deployments to the region during the trump management. Former U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela James Story, previously involved in anti-narcotics efforts at the State Department, has described the current U.S. policy toward Venezuela as incoherent, citing the recent reissuance of a license allowing Chevron to operate within the country as an example.As of publication, the Venezuelan government has not officially responded to the U.S. strike or President Trump’s claims.
