 "WATCH: Trump says US strikes vessel carrying drugs from Venezuela, 11 'narcoterrorists' killed")
US President Donald Trump has announced that the US carried out a strike against a vessel carrying drug from Venezuela in the southern Caribbean, killing 11 so-called “narcoterrorists”.
He said on social media that Tuesday’s military operation targeted members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
Trump stated that the vessel was in international waters and transporting illegal narcotics bound for the United States.
The Trump administration has stepped up both military and political pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in recent weeks, including offering a $50m reward for information leading to his arrest on drug-trafficking charges. Maduro has warned that Venezuela would resist any attempted US military intervention.
In a social media post, Trump said: “The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in international waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States. No US forces were harmed in this strike. Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America.”
The president also shared a short video clip showing a small vessel appearing to explode in flames. The footage shows a long, multi-engine speedboat at sea, followed by a bright flash over the craft, which is then briefly engulfed in fire.
The video, largely in black and white, does not make it clear whether the boat was carrying as many as 11 people, nor does it show any large or obvious stashes of drugs aboard.
The operation marks a rare US military action in the Americas and represents a significant escalation in the Republican administration’s efforts to curb narcotics trafficking from Latin America.
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