American Warships Patrolling Southern Caribbean Sink ‘Drug Boat’ Leaving Venezuela
The secretary of state says the boat was operated by a ‘designated narco-terrorist organization.’
President Trump and Secretary Marco Rubio say the American military carried out a strike in the southern Caribbean and sank a “drug boat” leaving Venezuela.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Mr. Trump said, “We just over the last few minutes, literally, shot out a boat — a drug carrying boat — lot of drugs in that boat.”
“We have a lot of drugs pouring into our country, coming in for a long time. And … these came out of Venezuela,” the president said.
Further details about the strike, such as fatalities or who was operating the boat, were not available, and there has been no immediate response from authorities in the South American nation.
Mr. Rubio posted on X, “As @potus just announced moments ago, today the U.S. military conducted a lethal strike in the southern Caribbean against a drug vessel which had departed from Venezuela and was being operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization.”
The reported strike comes as Mr. Trump has deployed at least seven warships and roughly 4,000 military personnel to the region as his administration ratchets up pressure on the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro.
The White House has cast the move as an effort to stop the flow of drugs into America. Last month, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Mr. Maduro. The Trump administration has accused Mr. Maduro of working with drug cartels. During Mr. Trump’s first term, Mr. Maduro was indicted on federal charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine.
Mr. Trump quietly signed a directive for the military to use force against drug cartels in Latin America, the New York Times reported last month. The strike on the “drug boat” comes as Mr. Rubio was scheduled to travel to Mexico Tuesday to meet with top officials there to pressure them to crack down on cartel activity.
The buildup of military forces has led to warnings from Mr. Maduro about a potential American operation against Venezuela.
At a press conference on Monday, Mr. Maduro called the deployment of American warships an “extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral, and absolutely criminal and bloody threat” and said, “We have declared maximum preparedness for the defense of Venezuela.” He added that a military operation would “stain” Mr. Trump’s “hands with blood.”
