Overview

• Trump announced a kinetic operation in the southern Caribbean and shared aerial video of a speedboat exploding, saying the vessel was in international waters and no U.S. forces were harmed.
• The White House says the boat had departed Venezuela and was operated by Tren de Aragua, which the U.S. designated a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year.
• U.S. officials have released limited details about the mission, and a declassified intelligence assessment has contradicted administration claims that President Nicolás Maduro controls Tren de Aragua.
• Venezuela’s leader denounced the U.S. military presence and warned of armed resistance if attacked, while Trinidad and Tobago’s prime minister praised the strike as a blow to cartels.
• The operation follows a recent deployment of multiple U.S. warships and more than 4,000 sailors and Marines to the region, with officials pledging continued counter-drug missions.