Trump Says US Forces Strike Drug Boat Linked to Venezuelan Gang

President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces attacked a boat carrying illegal drugs to the United States on Tuesday, killing 11 members of a gang he said is linked to Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

Trump shared a video online showing an open-topped speedboat with several people on board, which then exploded in flames.

The strike marks a potential escalation in tensions between Washington and Caracas. The United States recently deployed eight warships to Latin America as part of its campaign against drug trafficking.

At the White House, Trump said U.S. forces had “shot out a boat… a drug-carrying boat, lots of drugs in that boat,” but he did not provide further details.

Later, on his Truth Social network, the former president posted a statement with a black-and-white video of the explosion.

“Earlier this morning, on my orders, U.S. military forces conducted a strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua narcoterrorists,” Trump said, without specifying the weapon used. “The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in international waters transporting illegal narcotics to the United States. Eleven terrorists were killed in action.”