Release Date 
09/03/2025

What is known about the US "lethal attack" on a boat that Trump said brought drugs from Venezuela

The military attack escalates tensions with the regime of Nicolás Maduro, whom Trump accuses of being behind the Aragua Train and the gang's operations related to drug trafficking.
 

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his army carried out an attack in the Caribbean against a boat that he said was transporting drugs from Venezuela and was operated by the Tren de Aragua gang.

Trump added on social media that 11 people were killed in the military operation, which represents a strong escalation in the federal government's attempts to stop the flow of narcotics from Latin America. He also posted a short video of a small boat that seemed to explode in flames.

"The attack was carried out while the terrorists were at sea in international waters, transporting illegal narcotics towards the United States," Trump said on Truth Social. "No member of the US armed forces was injured in this attack. Please, let this serve as a warning to anyone who even thinks about bringing drugs to the United States."

The video seems to show a multi-engine speedboat traveling in the sea when suddenly a bright flash occurs on it. Then you briefly see the boat covered in flames.