September 3, 2025
The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States.
President Trump announcing on TruthSocial that the U.S. military carried out a strike Tuesday morning in the southern Caribbean on a drug vessel operated by the Tren de Aragua gang. According to the president, 11 gang members were killed.
Why It Matters: This strike marks a notable shift in U.S. policy under President Trump. Just last week, the administration deployed more than 4,000 Marines and sailors near Venezuela’s coast – a move Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned as “an extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral and absolutely criminal and bloody threat.” Earlier this year, the Trump administration labeled Tren de Aragua a Foreign Terrorist Organization, grouping it with other cartels it blames for trafficking illegal drugs into the U.S. The administration has also accused President Madura of operating his own cartel and, in early August, increased the reward for his capture. President Trump alleges Maduro controls Tren de Aragua and said this latest strike serves “as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America.”
Read More:
- Trump says US strike on vessel in Caribbean targeted Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang, killed 11 (Associated Press)
- Tren de Aragua — all you need to know about the Venezuelan gang (NPR)
- What Large-Scale US Military Action Against Venezuela Could Look Like (Newsweek)
Image Credit: President Trump / Truth Social
by Stephanie Wagner, based in Florida
