Overview

• Trump said U.S. forces conducted a lethal strike in international waters against a vessel that departed Venezuela and was operated by the designated terrorist group Tren de Aragua.
• The president posted black-and-white aerial footage of a small boat exploding and said no U.S. personnel were harmed in the operation.
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the precision strike and a senior defense official said further details would be released later.
• The action follows a U.S. buildup of warships, a fast-attack submarine and thousands of Marines in the southern Caribbean, along with a $50 million bounty on Nicolás Maduro.
• Caracas has denounced the deployments, mobilized forces and warned of resistance, while analysts and past U.S. intelligence assessments question claims that Maduro controls Tren de Aragua and highlight legal concerns over strike authority.