US Defends Lethal Strike on Venezuelan Gang; International Scrutiny Mounts

WASHINGTON – The Trump administration is vigorously defending a lethal military strike against a suspected Venezuelan gang, framing the unprecedented operation as a clear warning to Latin American drug cartels. President Donald Trump, speaking on Wednesday, justified the Tuesday strike, which reportedly killed 11 individuals, as a necessary measure to stem the flow of illicit drugs into the United States.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, traveling in Mexico, reinforced the administration’s aggressive posture, warning that similar operations “will happen again” and asserting that traditional drug interdiction methods have proven ineffective. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth further accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of running a “narco-state” and dismissed claims by Venezuela’s Communications Minister Freddy Ñáñez that the strike video was an artificial intelligence fabrication, confirming he watched live footage of the attack.

The strike, which occurred in international waters, has sparked international debate and legal scrutiny. Mary Ellen O’Connell, an expert on international law at the University of Notre Dame Law School, questioned the legality of the intentional killing outside of immediate life-saving circumstances. Analysts, including Ryan Berg of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, view the action as a significant paradigm shift in U.S. security policy in the Western Hemisphere, demonstrating a willingness to use deadly force and potentially setting a precedent for engagement with other regional actors.

While the U.S. government designates Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization, its direct involvement in large-scale transnational drug trafficking is a subject of ongoing debate among experts like InSight Crime. The incident also revives historical concerns about U.S. intervention in Latin American affairs, prompting Mexican Secretary of Foreign Relations Juan Ramón de la Fuente to underscore the importance of respecting national sovereignty during his Wednesday meeting with Secretary Rubio.

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