Overview

• U.S. forces carried out the Southcom-area strike in international waters on the president’s order, with 11 people reported killed and no American casualties.
• The Pentagon confirmed the operation, and Trump said the vessel was transporting narcotics bound for the United States.
• Trump described the target as members of Tren de Aragua, which he portrays as a designated foreign terrorist group linked to Nicolás Maduro.
• Venezuelan officials denied any ties to the group, accused Washington of circulating an AI-generated video, and condemned the action.
• The strike is reported as the first official operation since recent U.S. naval deployments to the southern Caribbean for intensified counter-drug efforts.