In a bold escalation of the President's border security agenda, on Tuesday, the U.S. military conducted a lethal airstrike on a suspected drug-carrying vessel in the southern Caribbean, killing 11 individuals identified as members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, a designated foreign terrorist organization. President Trump announced the operation during a White House press gaggle, describing it as a "precision strike" targeting a speedboat transporting illegal narcotics toward the United States in international waters.
Drone imagery released by the Department of War (DoW) shows the vessel exploding and catching fire, underscoring the operation's intensity. The Pentagon confirmed the strike, noting it was executed against a "narco-terrorist organization" but provided limited details on the operation's specifics.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented on the strike:
“Today the U.S. military conducted a lethal strike in the southern Caribbean against a drug vessel which had departed from Venezuela and was being operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization.”
His remarks framed the action as a decisive move against drug trafficking, aligning with the Trump administration's escalating anti-cartel campaign. The strike marks a significant departure from traditional U.S. Coast Guard interdiction tactics, which typically involve apprehending smugglers rather than using lethal force.
The operation follows a broader U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, with the Navy having deployed 10 F-35 stealth fighters to Puerto Rico; warships, including the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit; the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie; and three destroyers to patrol waters off Venezuela since August. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned the U.S. naval presence as an illegal and criminal threat, accusing the Trump administration of pursuing regime change. He may be right.
Venezuelan F-16 Overflight
On Thursday, two Venezuelan Air Force F-16 fighter jets conducted a provocative flyover of the USS Jason Dunham, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, in international waters in the southern Caribbean. The Pentagon described the maneuver as a "highly provocative move" designed to interfere with U.S. counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism operations, labeling it a "show of force" by the Venezuelan regime following the Tuesday incident.
The USS Jason Dunham did not engage the F-16s, though the aircraft could have been shot down instantly.
In response, the Pentagon issued a stern warning:
“The cartel running Venezuela is strongly advised not to pursue any further effort to obstruct, deter or interfere with counter-narcotics and counter-terror operations carried out by the U.S. military.”
The Venezuelan F-16s, acquired in 1983 through the U.S. "Peace Delta" program, are outdated and have not been upgraded due to U.S. embargoes, yet their deployment underscored Maduro's defiance amid accusations of his government's ties to narco-trafficking.
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