Nice try, terrorists — this is not Joe Biden’s America anymore…
President Donald Trump on Tuesday released video of U.S. forces destroying a boat off the coast of Venezuela that he said was carrying drugs and members of the Tren de Aragua gang.
The footage showed a small vessel in international waters erupting in flames after being hit by a missile. Trump said all 11 people aboard — described as “Tren de Aragua narcoterrorists” — were killed while en route to the United States.
“TDA is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, operating under the control of Nicolas Maduro, responsible for mass murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and acts of violence and terror across the United States and Western Hemisphere,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “No U.S. 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!”
It marked the first known military strike on a cartel since Trump authorized such operations earlier this year. The region is a major cocaine corridor, though initial statements did not specify what drugs were on the vessel.
Trump’s full TRUTH Social post below:
Earlier this morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility. TDA is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, operating under the control of Nicolas Maduro, responsible for mass murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and acts of violence and terror across the United States and Western Hemisphere. 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 U.S. 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! Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!!!!!!!!!
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 2, 2025
In late August, President Donald Trump ordered three guided-missile destroyers and about 4,000 Marines to the Venezuelan coast, prompting President Nicolás Maduro to mobilize millions of militia members and warn of an imminent U.S. invasion.
The Trump administration has branded Maduro — a Cuba-aligned strongman in power since 2013 — as a drug cartel leader and fugitive from justice. Earlier in August, the U.S. government offered a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
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