Defense secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday issued a stern warning after a US military strike destroyed a Venezuelan drug boat in the Caribbean, killing 11 suspected members of the Tren de Aragua gang.
“It's a new day. It's a different day, and… this is an activity the United States is not going to tolerate in our hemisphere,” Hegseth said on Fox & Friends.
He described the operation as a direct hit against a “narco-terrorist organization” seeking to “poison” the United States with illicit drugs.
“We knew exactly who was in that boat. We know exactly what they were doing, and we knew exactly who they represented,” he said.
‘It won’t stop with just this strike’
Hegseth stressed that the action was carried out with “precision” and said more operations will follow. “It won't stop with just this strike. Anyone else trafficking in those waters, who we know is a designated narco-terrorist, will face the same fate, and it's important for the American people to protect our homeland and protect our hemisphere,” he said.
Venezuelan minister of communication and information Freddy Nanez dismissed video of the fiery explosion as AI-generated, but Hegseth rejected the claim. “I can tell you that was definitely not artificial intelligence. I watched it live,” he said, as qupted by Fox News.
US President Donald Trump confirmed the attack early Wednesday, releasing footage of the explosion and calling it a warning to cartels.
“The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in international waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States. The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. No US Forces were harmed in this strike,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
He added, “Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America.”
Maduro deploys troops in response
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro responded to the strike by deploying troops along the coast and border with Colombia, while urging citizens to join a civilian militia.
Maduro has long argued that the US exaggerates Venezuela’s role in drug trafficking to push for regime change. He and other officials have pointed to a United Nations report suggesting only a small fraction of Colombia’s cocaine moves through Venezuelan territory.
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