On Sept. 2, 2025, the US military sank a Venezuelan speedboat in international waters, killing 11 alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang, Reuters reported.
President Trump shared a video of the fiery blast on Truth Social, calling it proof the US would “hit cartels wherever they are.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X that the vessel had departed Venezuela and belonged to a “narco-terrorist organisation,” CBS News noted.
Analysts described the strike as a sharp shift from past Coast Guard interdictions to direct military engagement. Legal experts also questioned the administration’s authority to launch lethal strikes in international waters without Congressional approval. The Pentagon has released limited operational details, fuelling debate over evidence linking all 11 killed to Tren de Aragua.
Venezuela Harasses US Destroyer Twice In 24 Hours
Overnight, Venezuelan Air Force F-16s twice overflew the USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109) in the southern Caribbean, Pentagon officials told NBC News. US defence sources described the encounters as “highly provocative,” saying the ship was operating legally in international waters. Officials suggested the flyovers were a direct response to Washington’s precision strike days earlier.
The Jason Dunham is deployed as part of a major Southern Command buildup in the region, including seven warships, a nuclear-powered submarine, F-35 stealth fighters and 2,200 Marines, per USNI News. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News the operation is “deadly serious” and warned that “more strikes could follow.”
Maduro’s Defiance and Regional Fallout
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro denounced the strike as “extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral and absolutely criminal,” and said his country was at “maximum preparedness” for defence, Axios reported. Colombian President Gustavo Petro called the US action a “murder,” highlighting the risk of regional diplomatic fallout, Reuters noted. Trump, meanwhile, said the strike was a warning against drug flows, telling reporters: “We have a lot of drugs pouring into our country, coming out of Venezuela,” The Hill reported.
Critics argue the mission could be part of a broader regime-change agenda. Former US official Elliott Abrams told Axios the operation carried a “subtext of destabilising Maduro’s regime.” Social media reactions split sharply: pro-Trump accounts praised decisive action, while critics raised legal and humanitarian concerns.