Trump Says 11 Killed in US Strike :
In a dramatic escalation of U.S. anti-narcotics efforts in the Caribbean, Trump says 11 killed in US strike on drug-carrying vessel from Venezuela, describing the incident as a “kinetic military strike” against a narco-terrorist threat.
Speaking from the Oval Office on Tuesday, President Donald Trump confirmed that the U.S. military intercepted and destroyed a high-speed boat in international waters. According to Trump, the vessel was carrying illegal drugs and was manned by members of Tren de Aragua, a violent Venezuelan gang known for trafficking and organized crime across Latin America.
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“A lot of drugs were in that boat,” Trump told reporters. “And now, 11 narcoterrorists are no longer a threat.”
Later in the day, Trump shared a grainy aerial video on his Truth Social account, showing a fast-moving boat across choppy waters before it explodes in flames. Alongside the video, Trump says 11 killed in US strike on drug-carrying vessel from Venezuela, issuing a stern warning: “Please let this serve as notice to anybody thinking about bringing drugs into the United States—BEWARE.”
No U.S. personnel were harmed in the operation, which took place in the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) region. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the strike on social media, describing it as a “lethal strike” on a vessel “operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization.”
The Venezuelan government has reacted strongly.
Communications Minister Freddy Ñáñez suggested, without evidence, that the video shared by Trump may have been generated using artificial intelligence. However, early investigations by independent agencies found no signs of manipulation.
This isn’t the first time Trump says 11 killed in US strike on drug-carrying vessel from Venezuela or other similar operations. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has labeled several Latin American criminal groups as terrorist organizations, ramping up both diplomatic and military pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. In recent weeks, the U.S. even placed a $50 million bounty on Maduro, accusing him of being at the center of an international drug network.
The strike also coincides with a larger buildup of U.S. military presence in the region. Over the past two months, additional naval vessels, Marines, and special operations forces have been deployed near Venezuelan waters. This move has alarmed Maduro, who called the deployments “the greatest threat to Latin America in the last 100 years.”
Still, Trump maintains his stance.
As Trump says 11 killed in US strike on drug-carrying vessel from Venezuela, he insists this is only the beginning. “There’s more where that came from,” he added.
Interestingly, while taking a hard line against the Venezuelan regime, the Trump administration has shown economic leniency by allowing Chevron to continue limited operations in partnership with Venezuela’s state-run oil firm, PDVSA.
With international tensions rising and U.S. anti-drug operations intensifying, this latest strike may mark a turning point in how the U.S. engages with transnational crime networks in the region.
FAQS:
Q1: What happened in the recent U.S. military strike near Venezuela?
A: President Trump confirmed that U.S. forces struck a drug-smuggling vessel in the southern Caribbean, killing 11 suspected narco-terrorists from Venezuela.
Q2: Why is the phrase “Trump says 11 killed in US strike on drug-carrying vessel from Venezuela” trending?
A: The phrase is trending after Trump shared video evidence of the operation and confirmed a successful military action against narcotics traffickers tied to Venezuelan gangs.
