The southern Caribbean just became the stage for a deadly showdown.
President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces struck a boat carrying narcotics.
The strike killed 11 alleged members of Venezuela’s notorious Tren de Aragua gang.
His message was blunt: bring drugs toward America, and you’ll pay the price.
The strike, Trump said, took place in international waters.
“A lot of drugs in that boat,” he told reporters in the Oval Office.
Later boasting online: “No U.S. forces were harmed … let this serve as notice … BEWARE!”
A grainy video he shared showed a vessel speeding through rough seas before erupting in flames.
Not Everyone Applauded
Venezuela’s communications minister dismissed the footage, even claiming it looked AI-generated.
Meanwhile, Maduro’s government—already locked in a bitter standoff with Washington—warned.
U.S. military deployments near its shores posed “the greatest threat in 100 years.”
The timing is no accident. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has pushed a harder line against Venezuela.
He labeled gangs like Tren de Aragua and the “Cartel of the Suns” as terrorist groups.
The U.S. has even offered a $50 million bounty for information leading to Maduro’s arrest on drug charges.
Trump’s parting shot after the strike? “There’s more where that came from.” A warning—or a promise?
