President Donald Trump announced that the US military conducted an operation targeting alleged drug traffickers, resulting in the death of three individuals referred to as “narcoterrorists.” The specific group and origin of the targeted vessel hit by a “lethal kinetic strike” remain undisclosed. Trump stated on his Truth Social media platform that the vessel was linked to a Designated Terrorist Organization and engaged in narcotrafficking within the USSOUTHCOM region.
USSOUTHCOM, or the US Southern Command, operates in Latin America, south of Mexico, and the surrounding waters, including the Caribbean Sea. According to Trump, intelligence indicated that the targeted vessel was trafficking illicit narcotics through a known narcotrafficking route, posing a threat to Americans.
A video shared by Trump depicted the strike on the vessel, showing it being hit by missiles and sinking in a fiery explosion. White House communications director Steven Cheung commented that the “narcoterrorists” realized their error at that moment.
This strike followed a previous operation on September 2, where a drug-carrying speedboat, allegedly operated by the Tren de Aragua gang, was destroyed, resulting in 11 casualties. The Trump administration defended the military action as a necessary measure to curb drug flow into the US.
However, concerns have been raised by some senators, including Democrats and Republicans, as well as human rights groups, questioning the legality and potential misuse of executive authority in employing the military for law enforcement purposes. The administration has not clarified how the military determined the cargo and passengers’ affiliation with the alleged gang before the strikes.
The recent increase in US maritime presence in the Caribbean indicates a significant shift in the approach to combating drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere. Speculation in Venezuela suggests that these strikes may be part of a larger plan to destabilize President Nicolás Maduro’s regime, a claim echoed by Maduro himself.
Maduro dismissed the US video released by Trump as artificial intelligence-generated, asserting that a boat of that size could not venture into open waters. He accused the Trump administration of using drug trafficking accusations as a pretext for military actions aimed at intimidating and instigating regime change in Venezuela.