Overview

• President Donald Trump said U.S. forces struck a drug-laden boat that had departed Venezuela in the southern Caribbean and confirmed the action publicly from the White House.
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio reported the vessel was operated by a designated narcoterrorist organization, and Trump later said 11 suspected Tren de Aragua members were killed with no U.S. casualties.
• The administration framed the operation as a targeted counternarcotics action in international waters, with the Pentagon expected to provide additional details.
• Caracas condemned the strike, heightened military readiness, announced deployments including along the Colombia border, and sought support from the United Nations.
• A sizable U.S. naval and Marine presence remains in nearby waters, and naval leadership says the deployment supports anti-cartel operations while rejecting claims of an invasion plan.