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President Donald Trump announced this during a press conference. The move marks a milestone in increasingly militarized U.S. counterdrug efforts in the region. Earlier that month, Trump secretly authorized military force against drug cartels in early August.
Trump described the strike on Truth Social: “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. 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 significant U.S. armada is currently deployed in the area where the strike took place, consisting of four destroyers carrying Tomahawk cruise missiles and more than 4,500 Marines and sailors.
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro alleged that Trump is “seeking regime change through military threat.” He claimed his country’s military is “super prepared” to face American troops if necessary.
Trump singled out Maduro in a Truth post, claiming the Tren de Aragua operates under his control. U.S. authorities are offering a $50 million reward for Maduro’s arrest.
U.S. law enforcement and Coast Guard members have previously had deadly encounters at sea with drug smugglers in the Caribbean. Derek Maltz, Trump’s former Acting DEA Administrator, praised the military strike and noted it is rare if not unprecedented – and long overdue.
Maltz spent nearly 30 years at the DEA in leadership roles and stated: “I don’t know off the top of my head of any military strikes on boats that are loaded with drugs; I don’t remember that in my time in the DEA.”
Contributing: Reuters, Joseph Garrison, USA TODAY
