US Strike On Drug-Boat That Departed Venezuela Leaves 11 Dead, Video Released

Update(1831ET): More details of the military action against an allegedly drug-laden boat which departed Venezuela have been revealed by President Trump in a Truth Social post:

“Earlier this morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility,” Trump said. “The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States. The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action.”

A sizeable U.S. armada currently sits afloat in the waters where the strike occurred. Four destroyers carrying Tomahawk cruise missiles and more than 4,500 Marines and sailors are deployed in the area.

Eleven deaths in the US military action in the south Caribbean is quite significant, and if they are found to be Venezuelan citizens, it will certainly raise tensions much higher with Caracas. Trump has released footage of the strike:

BREAKING: President Trump just released the video of the U.S. military STRIKING a drug boat from Venezuela heading to America carrying ELEVEN Tren de Aragua narcoterrorists, who were kiIIed in the strike

TRUMP: “Earlier this morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces… pic.twitter.com/axQAWxjJhm

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 2, 2025

As for President Maduro, he alleged on Monday that Trump is “seeking regime change through military threat.” As for the US claim that these slain narco-”terrorists” were directly under Maduro or were state-linked, this is still anything but proven. In fact, there could be evidence to the contrary…

Trump claims that the strike targeted members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. He also claims the gang is “under the control of Nicolas Maduro,” but that contradicts a declassified US intelligence memo that says Maduro’s government doesn’t control TDA (link in reply) pic.twitter.com/9S0uYMOEvi

— Dave DeCamp (@DecampDave) September 2, 2025

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Geopolitical fireworks have erupted in the Caribbean amid the tense showdown that’s ensued with US Navy warships moving into the region with an eye on Maduro’s Venezuela. Maduro has in the last days been engaged in his own ‘show of force’ – sending extra troops into Venezuelan border areas.

The White House has confirmed Tuesday that the US military carried out a strike in the southern Caribbean against a drug-carrying vessel that earlier departed Venezuela’s coast. President Trump announced the surprise development from the Oval Office: “When you leave the room, you’ll see that we just, over the last few minutes, literally, shot a boat – a drug-carrying boat,” he told reporters, describing that there were “a lot of drugs” on the vessel.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio separately announced on X that the vessel was being operated by a “designated narco-terrorist organization” - calling it a lethal strike.

The ship had “departed from Venezuela and was being operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization,” Rubio wrote. The Pentagon has not offered any initial comment in the immediate strike aftermath, and few other details are known of the incident. According to newswires:

• US CONDUCTED STRIKE AGAINST DRUG VESSEL FROM VENEZUELA
• VENEZUELA BONDS HIT SESSION HIGH AFTER US DRUG BOAT STRIKE

Venezuela has clearly been back in Trump’s crosshairs, after last month it was first reported that some eight US Navy vessels were en route to patrol Caribbean waters near Venezuela.

Trump will surely come under criticism from some sectors of his base, after he repeatedly promised to not start new wars. However, the administration is selling this fresh action and the naval deployment as part of drug enforcement.

This is what Tulsi Gabbard had to say the last time the Trump Administration was running a regime change op in Venezuela. Now they’re doing it again — except with much more firepower this time — and she’s part of it. Kind of like how she did a complete 180° on her Iran views pic.twitter.com/5ib4TmWiGl

— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) September 2, 2025

Last Friday, Stephen Miller, deputy White House chief of staff, described that the fresh military build-up off Venezuela and in regional waters is to “combat and dismantle drug trafficking organizations, criminal cartels and these foreign terrorist organizations in our hemisphere.”

Analysts have questioned just how a larger military presence will disrupt the drug trade, as opposed to conventional law enforcement mechanisms which have for decades been involved. According to a Reuters backgrounder:

Among other things, most of the seaborne drug trade travels to the United States via the Pacific, not the Atlantic, where the U.S. forces are, and much of what arrives via the Caribbean comes on clandestine flights.

Venezuelan officials believe their government might be the real target. In early August, the United States doubled its reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to $50 million over allegations of drug trafficking and links to criminal groups.

Maduro, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and the country’s ambassador to the United Nations Samuel Moncada have said the U.S. is threatening the country with the naval deployments, in violation of international treaties. They have also scoffed at U.S. assertions that the country and its leadership are key to major international drug trafficking.

Trump strike on a Venezuelan drug boat is more than a naval operation…

it’s a political message reshaping the Caribbean scene #US #Venezuela #Trump pic.twitter.com/f0DNAuET1z

— سيف الدرعي (@saif_aldareei) September 2, 2025

Venezuela’s Defense Minister General Vladimir Padrino said last Friday: “Venezuelans know who is behind these military threats by the United States against our country.” He emphasized, “We are not drug traffickers, we are noble and hard-working people.”