US Military Strikes Drug Traffickers Off Venezuela’s Coast
President Donald Trump announced that US forces have engaged and eliminated 11 members of the Tren de Aragua (TDA) crime group, along with various drug traffickers, who were reportedly transporting illegal substances aboard “drug carriers” near Venezuela.
In a press briefing at the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump explained that US troops attacked a “drug-carrying boat,” emphasizing details relayed by General Dan “Raysin” Kane, one of the military leaders on the operation.
“We literally shot a boat, a boat carrying drugs in the last few minutes. There’s a lot of drugs in that boat,” he stated.
Trump continued, noting the significant drug flow from Venezuela into the US, highlighting the longstanding issue. “We’ve been dealing with this for a long time; it comes out of Venezuela heavily,” he elaborated.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also confirmed the military strike targeting the drug vessel.
As President Trump mentioned earlier, the US military launched a lethal strike from Venezuela against a drug ship associated with designated terrorist organizations, Rubio tweeted.
In a subsequent post on Truth Social, Trump shared a video of the naval operation, labeling all individuals on the boat as “terrorists” affiliated with TDA.
“The TDA is a recognized foreign terrorist organization controlled by Nicolas Maduro, responsible for mass murder, drug trafficking, and other significant violence in the US and beyond,” Trump described.
“The strike occurred while terrorists were transporting illegal drugs in international waters heading to the US. Eleven terrorists were killed in action,” he stated.
This incident marks the first reported action against the cartel since Trump ordered military operations earlier this year. The area is notorious for cocaine production, though initial reports did not specify which drugs were involved in this particular case.
Earlier in August, Trump had dispatched three guided missile warships and about 4,000 Marines to the Venezuelan coast, urging the nation’s socialist leader, Nicolas Maduro, to unite militia members in preparation for potential military action.
The Trump administration has long categorized the socialist leadership in Cuba as drug cartel figures and fugitives since 2013. Both Trump’s and former President Biden’s administrations have contested the legitimacy of Maduro’s election victories.
The US government offered a $50 million reward in early August for information leading to Maduro’s capture.
“The Maduro administration is not a legitimate government in Venezuela. It’s essentially a drug cartel,” asserted White House spokesperson Carolyn Leavitt during a briefing last week. “Maduro is a fugitive from this drug cartel.”
A close aide to Trump remarked on Tuesday, “Maduro’s oppressive regime is coming to an end. President Trump’s crucial mission to secure the Western Hemisphere is just beginning.”
