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33m ago

Dominican Republic Confirms U.S. Strike on Speedboat, Reports Cocaine Seizure off Isla Beata

Trump describes three killed in an operation tied to a wider buildup near Venezuela.

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro looks on during a meeting at the National Assembly in Caracas on August 22, 2025. Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro on August 22, 2025, denounced the US military deployment in Caribbean waters as an "immoral, criminal, and illegal" plan against his country, seeking "regime change." (Photo by Juan BARRETO / AFP) (Photo by JUAN BARRETO/AFP via Getty Images)
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro prepares to leave at the end of a press conference, days after he said Venezuela would deploy military, police and civilian defenses at 284 "battlefront" locations across the country, amid heightened tensions with the U.S., in Caracas, Venezuela, September 15, 2025. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo
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Overview

  • Dominican anti-drug officials said a U.S. aerial strike destroyed a speedboat about 80 nautical miles south of Isla Beata and they recovered 377 packages of cocaine from an alleged 1,000-kilogram shipment.
  • U.S. officials identified the action as the latest strike announced Friday, with Trump posting video and asserting the boat was linked to a designated terrorist group and operating in international waters.
  • The attack is one of several recent strikes in the Southern Command region that media tallies say have killed roughly 17 people, including three in the latest incident, with no U.S. casualties reported.
  • The campaign is backed by a major deployment that includes eight U.S. warships, a nuclear-powered submarine and F-35 fighters based in Puerto Rico.
  • Venezuela has mobilized troops and staged civilian training while President Nicolás Maduro denies narcotrafficking ties and offers talks, as U.S. lawmakers press a War Powers challenge and rights groups question the strikes’ legality.