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3d ago

Vance Defends U.S. Boat Strike as Cartel Crackdown Intensifies

The administration casts the Sept. 2 operation as a template for continued actions against groups it has designated as narco‑terrorists.

L: Sen. Rand Paul arrives for a confirmation hearing at the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on July 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. R: U.S. Vice President JD Vance speaks to the press after paying his respects to victims of the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting on September 3, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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Venezuelan soldiers march during the military parade as part of 214th anniversary of Venezuela's independence celebrations on July 5, 2025 in Caracas.

Overview

  • U.S. forces destroyed a Venezuelan‑linked vessel in international waters on Sept. 2, with the White House saying 11 Tren de Aragua members were killed, and released video of the explosion without publicly identifying the dead or showing recovered drugs.
  • Vice President JD Vance backed the strike as the “highest and best use” of the military and dismissed war‑crime accusations with a profane retort, drawing rebukes from critics including Republican Sen. Rand Paul.
  • Senior officials said similar operations will follow, as the U.S. expands its Caribbean posture with F‑35s to Puerto Rico, multiple Navy warships, an attack submarine and thousands of Marines and sailors.
  • Venezuela condemned the strike after its jets flew near a U.S. ship, and President Trump warned Venezuelan aircraft would be shot down if they endanger American vessels.
  • Legal experts and some lawmakers, including Sen. Tim Kaine, are scrutinizing the administration’s authority and evidence, noting the move shifts drug interdiction from traditional Coast Guard arrests to lethal military action.