 "What is the Tren de Aragua gang that US targeted in a strike on Venezuela ship?")
The United States military has carried out a rare strike in the southern Caribbean, targeting a vessel that departed from Venezuela and was allegedly transporting illegal narcotics.
Eleven individuals were killed in the operation, which US officials say were members of the notorious Tren de Aragua gang, a Venezuelan criminal organisation designated earlier this year by Washington as a foreign terrorist group.
The strike, which took place on Tuesday, represents a major escalation in Washington’s ongoing efforts to curb drug trafficking from Latin America and comes amid rising tensions between US President Donald Trump’s administration and the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Trump confirmed the operation while speaking to reporters at the White House, describing it as a clear message to cartels and gangs attempting to smuggle narcotics into the United States.
“We just, over the last few minutes, literally shot out a boat, a drug-carrying boat, a lot of drugs in that boat,” Trump said. “The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. No US Forces were harmed in this strike.”
Shortly after his remarks, the US president shared a video on his Truth Social platform showing what appeared to be aerial surveillance footage of a speedboat at sea.
In the clip, a bright flash erupts, followed by the vessel being engulfed in flames. The brief video, which appeared to be black and white, did not clearly reveal the presence of 11 people or any visible narcotics on board.
🇺🇸 ON VIDEO: U.S. Military Forces conducted a strike against Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists. The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the U.S. The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. pic.twitter.com/iszHE0ttxQ
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 2, 2025
Trump characterised the individuals aboard the vessel as part of Tren de Aragua and repeated his longstanding allegation that the gang operates under Maduro’s control — a claim that Caracas strongly denies and which a declassified US intelligence report has previously contradicted.
Why this was a first-of-its-kind strike by the US
The strike marks the first known direct US military action in the Caribbean since Trump’s administration announced the deployment of additional naval assets to the region last month.
The expanded presence includes seven warships and one nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, bringing more than 4,500 sailors and Marines to the southern Caribbean.
Among these vessels are the USS San Antonio, USS Iwo Jima, and USS Fort Lauderdale — ships capable of deploying helicopters and Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The US has also been flying P-8 surveillance aircraft over international waters in the region to monitor maritime activity and gather intelligence on suspected drug trafficking routes.
While the US Navy and Coast Guard routinely operate in the Caribbean, this buildup significantly exceeds typical force levels.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the targeted vessel was travelling in international waters at the time of the strike and said the narcotics on board were likely destined for nearby Caribbean nations.
“These particular drugs were probably headed to Trinidad or some other country in the Caribbean,” Rubio told reporters. “Suffice it to say that the president is going to be on offence against drug cartels and drug trafficking in the United States.”
Rubio declined to provide further operational details, deferring questions to the Pentagon, which has yet to release information about the type or quantity of drugs involved or how the strike was carried out.
Adam Isacson, Director for Defence Oversight at the Washington Office on Latin America, criticised the move in a post on X, writing, “‘Being suspected of carrying drugs’ doesn’t carry a death sentence.”
Lethal force against a civilian vessel in international waters is a war crime if not in self-defense, which this video does not show. Only non-lethal actions, like warning shots or disabling fire, are allowed.
— Adam Isacson (@adam_wola) September 2, 2025
“Being suspected of carrying drugs” doesn't carry a death sentence. https://t.co/6Zal0bkY9w
The decision to destroy the vessel rather than seize it and arrest those on board has been described by experts as highly unusual.
How Nicolás Maduro has pushed back
The government of Nicolás Maduro reacted sharply to the US strike, with officials accusing Washington of manufacturing a narrative to justify military aggression.
Maduro himself did not directly address the strike but spoke to supporters during a televised walk through his childhood neighborhood, where he was accompanied by First Lady Cilia Flores.
“From the neighborhoods of Caracas … I tell you, there will be peace in Venezuela, with sovereignty,” Maduro said, claiming the US was motivated by a desire to seize Venezuela’s vast natural resources.
“In the face of imperialist threats, God (is) with us,” he added, vowing to defend Venezuela’s independence.
Venezuela’s Communications Minister, Freddy Ñáñez, went further by questioning the authenticity of the footage shared by Trump.
“Based on the video provided, it is very likely that it was created using Artificial Intelligence,” Ñáñez stated on his Telegram account, describing the explosion in the clip as resembling “almost cartoonish animation.”
Reuters conducted an initial examination of the video using digital forensics tools and reported no signs of manipulation, though it pointed out that a complete verification process was still ongoing.
Maduro’s government has long denied that Tren de Aragua remains operational inside Venezuela. Officials claim the gang was dismantled during a 2023 raid on the Tocorón prison, its original base of operations.
Caracas has also cited UN data showing that only about 5 per cent of Colombia’s cocaine production transits through Venezuela, a far lower figure than what Washington has suggested.
The latest United Nations World Drug Report showed a year-on-year increase in cocaine seizures across South American countries such as Colombia, Ecuador and Peru in 2022, but did not highlight Venezuela as a major trafficking hub.
Ecuador, in particular, has faced a surge in violence linked to both domestic and transnational criminal organisations, including those from Mexico and the Balkans.
What we know of the Tren de Aragua
Tren de Aragua, which translates to “Train of Aragua,” emerged in 2014 inside the Tocorón prison in Venezuela’s central state of Aragua.
Initially, the group controlled much of the prison’s operations, running illicit businesses and amenities, including a zoo, swimming pool, nightclub, bar, and restaurant.
From behind bars, its leaders orchestrated robberies, kidnappings, extortion schemes, and drug trafficking operations.
The name Tren de Aragua may have been inspired by a union of railway workers involved in building a train line between Caracas and Aragua state.
As Venezuela’s economy collapsed, leading to one of the worst humanitarian crises in the region, more than 7.7 million Venezuelans fled to neighboring countries and beyond.
The gang exploited this mass migration to expand its reach across Latin America, recruiting new members and establishing criminal networks in Colombia, Peru, and Chile.
Its activities diversified over time, encompassing human trafficking, sex work exploitation, extortion, and large-scale smuggling.
One of the gang’s most notorious crimes occurred last year, when Ronald Ojeda, a former Venezuelan army officer who had defected and opposed Maduro’s government, was kidnapped from his apartment in Santiago, Chile.
His body was later discovered inside a suitcase encased in cement. Two suspected Tren de Aragua members were arrested in connection with the murder.
In addition to its Latin American operations, Tren de Aragua has extended its influence into the United States, which is home to roughly 700,000 Venezuelan migrants.
US law enforcement agencies have linked the gang to various violent crimes, including the shooting of two New York Police Department officers and the killing of a former Venezuelan police officer in Florida.
Arrests of suspected members have been reported in Pennsylvania, Texas, California, Florida, and New York.
What US policy towards Tren de Aragua & Venezuela says
In January, the Trump administration designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization, building on a previous designation by the Biden administration that identified the group as a transnational criminal organisation.
The move gave Washington broader legal authority to target the gang and freeze its assets.
Trump has repeatedly compared Tren de Aragua to international terrorist organisations such as ISIS and powerful cartels like Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel.
His administration has used the group’s alleged threat to justify aggressive immigration and deportation policies, including the invocation of the Alien Enemies Act.
This law, dating back to World War II, allowed for the expedited detention and removal of foreign nationals from countries deemed hostile to the United States.
Trump’s government has also been sending Venezuelan detainees to CECOT, El Salvador's maximum-security prison built under President Nayib Bukele.
According to reports, the US has paid $20,000 per person to transfer 238 Venezuelans to the facility, which is known for its strict conditions, lack of natural light, and highly controlled environment.
However, not all experts agree with the administration’s framing of Tren de Aragua as a major national security threat. The International Crisis Group, an organisation focused on global conflict resolution, has warned against overstating the gang’s capabilities.
In a report, it said that while Tren de Aragua has become a significant player in organised crime in parts of Latin America, it does not present the same level of threat to the United States as terrorist organisations or large drug cartels.
“Fusing a hardline approach to a criminal group of disputable clout with an excessively broad understanding of who its members might be, the Trump administration has in effect sought a pretext for speeding up mass summary deportations,” the report stated.
How US-Venezuela tensions are faring
The September 2 strike came shortly after the United States announced its plan to significantly bolster its naval forces near Venezuela. This buildup, which includes destroyers and surveillance aircraft, has been interpreted by Caracas as a direct threat.
Maduro has responded by mobilising troops along Venezuela’s coastline and its border with Colombia, while calling on citizens to join a civilian militia.
On Monday, one day before the strike, Maduro warned that he would “constitutionally declare a republic in arms” if US forces launched an attack on Venezuelan soil.
The Trump administration, meanwhile, has heated its pressure campaign against Maduro, doubling its reward to $50 million for information leading to his capture on charges related to drug trafficking and organised crime.
Analysts have raised concerns that the US decision to strike a vessel without capturing its crew signals a shift in tactics that could increase the risk of confrontation with Venezuelan forces and destabilize the broader region.
For now, key questions remain unanswered, including how US intelligence identified those aboard the vessel as Tren de Aragua members and whether the operation adhered to international legal norms.
The identities of the 11 individuals killed have not been publicly released, and the extent of their ties to the gang is still being verified.
With inputs from agencies
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