US Intensifies Caribbean Anti-Drug Operations After Deadly Strike on Venezuelan Vessel

The United States has signaled a significant escalation in its anti-narcotics efforts in the Caribbean, with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirming a deadly U.S. military strike against a drug-carrying vessel believed to be linked to the Venezuelan organized crime group, Tren de Aragua. The incident, which President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday, resulted in the deaths of 11 individuals.

Speaking on Wednesday morning, Secretary Hegseth affirmed that the U.S. military watched the strike live, dismissing claims of it being artificial intelligence. He emphasized the precision of the attack, stating, “We knew exactly who was in that boat, we knew exactly what they were doing, and we knew exactly who they represented… trying to poison our country with illicit drugs.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated the drugs were likely bound for Trinidad and Tobago or other Caribbean nations, a sentiment echoed by Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who praised the strike. Hegseth warned that U.S. assets would remain in the region, with further strikes possible against any designated narco-terrorists.

This aggressive stance follows President Trump’s directive last month to target drug cartels in Latin America, which included an increased U.S. Navy presence near Venezuela. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has denounced these actions as a criminal threat, deploying his own warships in response. The Trump administration continues to accuse Maduro’s government of complicity with drug cartels, with Maduro himself facing U.S. federal charges for narco-terrorism.

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