President Donald Trump says the US has carried out a strike against a drug-carrying vessel in the southern Caribbean, killing 11 'Narcoterrorists'.
He posted on social media that Tuesday's US military operation had targeted members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
Trump said the vessel was in international waters and was transporting illegal narcotics bound for the US.
The Trump administration has ratcheted up military and political pressure against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in recent weeks, including through a $50m (£37m) reward for information leading to his arrest on drug-trafficking charges. Maduro has vowed Venezuela would fight any attempted US military intervention.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump stated that US forces had 'shot out' a 'drug-carrying boat' in the vicinity of Venezuela, emphasizing, 'A lot of drugs in that boat.'
Trump added he had been briefed on the incident by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine. Later, he posted on his Truth Social platform: 'Earlier this morning, on my Orders, US Military Forces conducted a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility.'
He stated, 'The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. No US Forces were harmed in this strike. Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America. BEWARE!'
The post featured a grainy aerial video showing a motor boat speeding across choppy waters before bursting into flames. In response, Venezuela's Communications Minister Freddy Nanez suggested, without evidence, that the video shared by Trump was created with artificial intelligence.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed that the US military conducted a lethal strike against a drug vessel departing from Venezuela, linked to designated narco-terrorist organizations.
This incident raises questions regarding the types of narcotics the vessel may have been carrying.
Since taking office again in January, the Trump administration has designated several criminal organizations in Latin America, including Tren de Aragua, as terrorist organizations.
The US military has increased its presence in the southern Caribbean in recent months, deploying additional naval vessels alongside thousands of US Marines and sailors. Trump has repeatedly signaled a willingness to use force against drug trafficking.
'There's more where that came from,' he warned about the strike on the vessel, which sparked a strong backlash from the Venezuelan government, with Maduro declaring, 'the greatest threat that has been seen on our continent in the last 100 years.'
