A strike on what the US called a Venezuelan gang’s drug-carrying vessel killed 11 people, Donald Trump has said.
Speaking at a news conference at the White House, the US president told reporters: “We just, over the last few minutes, literally shot out a boat, a drug-carrying boat, a lot of drugs in that boat.
“And there’s more where that came from. We have a lot of drugs pouring into our country, coming in for a long time.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio then added: “These particular drugs were probably headed to Trinidad or some other country in the Caribbean.
“Suffice to say the president is going to be on offence against drug cartels and drug trafficking in the United States.”
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Mr Trump later posted a video on Truth Social of a vessel exploding, in what appeared to mark the first US military operation in the southern Caribbean to crack down on drug cartels.
The president said on social media that the US military had identified the crew as members of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which was designated a terrorist group in February.
He then alleged that Tren de Aragua is being controlled by Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, which the country denies.
Venezuelan officials have repeatedly said that Tren de Aragua is no longer active in their country after they dismantled it during a prison raid in 2023.
The US last month doubled its reward for information leading to the arrest of Mr Maduro to $50m, accusing him of links to drug trafficking and criminal groups.
The US has deployed warships in the southern Caribbean in recent weeks.
Seven warships, along with one nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, are either in the region or expected to arrive soon, carrying more than 4,500 sailors and Marines.
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Officials have said that the US military has also been flying P-8 spy planes over international waters in the region to gather intelligence.
Mr Maduro said on Monday that he “would constitutionally declare a republic in arms” if Venezuela were attacked by US forces deployed in the Caribbean.
