US Military Strikes Alleged Drug Boat From Venezuela and Kills...

Skip to main content September 2, 2025 Donald Trump speaks from the Oval Office in Washington, DC, on Sept. 2, 2025. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images The U.S. military killed 11 alleged Tren de Aragua members during a strike in the southern Caribbean against a vessel leaving Venezuela and suspected of carrying drugs, according to President Donald Trump. In a Truth Social Post on Tuesday, Trump said that on his orders, the military “conducted a kinetic strike” while “the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States.” He posted a video of what appeared to be a small boat carrying a group of people bursting into flames, and said that no U.S. personnel were harmed in the strike. Trump also accused President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela of controlling Tren de Aragua, which the U.S. designated as a terrorist group in February. The Department of Justice is offering a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Maduro and have accused the Venezuelan president of violating U.S. narcotics laws. “We just, over the last few minutes, literally shot out a boat, a drug-carrying boat, a lot of drugs in that boat,” he told reporters at the White House on Tuesday, per Reuters. “And there’s more where that came from. We have a lot of drugs pouring into our country, coming in for a long time … These came out of Venezuela.” Maduro previously warned that he would respond to any U.S. military action with an “armed fight” and claimed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was attempting to pull Trump into a war in the Caribbean. “Mr. President, Donald Trump,” the Venezuelan president said on Monday, per the New York Times, “watch out, because Mr. Rubio wants to stain your hands with blood.” Trending Stories First Look at ‘28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ Promises ‘Bonkers, Off-the-Wall Energy’ Four Best Friends Made an Album as Kids. 25 Years Later, It's a Cult Classic See Cyndi Lauper Bring Out Joni Mitchell, Cher, SZA at Final Show of Farewell Tour Burning Man Homicide: Police Seek Help Identifying Victim The U.S. government is increasing its maritime force in the waters off Venezuela to combat what it says are threats from drug cartels, the Associated Press reported. In turn, the Venezuelan government deployed troops along its coast and border with Colombia, and has encouraged Venezuelans to join a volunteer militia. Maduro has also accused the Trump administration of trying to force him from office, and told reporters on Monday that if Venezuela were attacked by U.S. forces in the Caribbean, he “would constitutionally declare a republic in arms.” Trump Was Aware of the Rumors He Had Died, Sources Say Alive and Kicking Nikki McCann Ramirez and Asawin Suebsaeng Judge Finds Trump Is Illegally Using the Military As a ‘National Police Force’ Nikki McCann Ramirez Bernie Sanders Is Backing Maine’s Oysterman Senate Candidate to ‘Send a Message’ ‘You Can Win’ Andrew Perez Trump Declares D.C. a 'Crime Free Zone' Despite 442 Crimes Reported in Past Week Math Not Math-ing Emily Zemler Trump’s VA Union Busting Is Another Step Toward Privatizing Veteran Care Michael Embrich Go to PMC.com Most Popular Heidi Gardner Leaves ‘SNL’ After Eight Seasons as Cast Exodus Continues Original 'Harry Potter' Director Saw Photos of the New Hagrid 'Wearing the Exact Same Costume We Designed' and Thought: 'What's the Point? It's More of the Same' Why Homeland Security Posted a 19th-Century Painting, Australian University Faces Pushback over AI Art Course, and More: Morning Links for August 29, 2025 Bindi Irwin’s Daughter Grace Is Glowing in New Photo With an Animal That’ll Always Have Her Heart You might also like Jeffrey Wright Slams Backlash to Him Playing Commissioner Gordon in ‘The Batman’ as ‘F–ing Racist and Stupid’: ‘It’s Absent All Logic’ 4 hours ago 16 Ways To Cozy Up a College Dorm Room 2 hours ago J.McLaughlin Aims to Elevate Its Storytelling 2 hours ago ‘A House of Dynamite’ Review: We’re All F**ked in Kathryn Bigelow’s Horrifically Gripping and Hopeless Nuclear Missile Thriller 4 hours ago 23XI, Front Row Dispute NASCAR’s Assurance of No Harm Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2025 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved. Powered by WordPress.com VIP