Washington, D.C., September 3(HS): The United States military conducted a lethal kinetic strike against a drug-carrying vessel from Venezuela in international waters of the Caribbean Sea, killing 11 individuals, President Donald Trump announced Tuesday. The operation marks a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s efforts to combat narcotics trafficking and exert pressure on Venezuela’s regime amid heightened geopolitical tensions.

In a White House briefing, Trump declared, “We just, over the last few minutes, literally shot out a drug-carrying boat,” emphasizing that the U.S. has been inundated with drugs pouring into the country. He warned, “Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America. BEWARE!”

The president identified the victims as members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan criminal organization the U.S. has labeled a foreign terrorist group operating under the control of President Nicolás Maduro. The strike was carried out without any U.S. casualties and was accompanied by drone footage showing the vessel engulfed in flames.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the strike as part of a counter-narcotics mission in the southern Caribbean, coinciding with an increased U.S. naval and troop presence aimed at disrupting drug flows. Rubio noted that the U.S. intends to continue offensive operations against such trafficking networks.

Venezuela’s government condemned the strike as an attack on its sovereignty, with Maduro warning of serious consequences and accusing the U.S. of attempting to provoke conflict in the region. However, experts suggest the move is more a signal of deterrence and domestic political messaging than an imminent military invasion.

This latest operation underscores the Trump administration's aggressive stance toward Latin American drug cartels and its readiness to combine military force with diplomatic pressure to combat illicit narcotics and challenge Maduro’s regime.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar