Trump Warns Drug Traffickers to 'Beware' After U.S. Military Strike Obliterates Venezuelan Narco-Terrorist Boat

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In a dramatic and forceful demonstration of his administration's hardline anti-drug trafficking policy, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that the U.S. military had conducted a "kinetic strike" that obliterated a vessel in the Caribbean carrying narcotics and operated by suspected members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua (TdA) narco-terrorist organization. The president confirmed the strike in a direct and unambiguous message on the social media platform Truth Social, which included a stark warning to any groups considering smuggling drugs into the United States.

"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," President Trump wrote. He detailed the context of the operation, stating that the group 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, he confirmed, "resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action."

The president's social media post was accompanied by a dramatic video showing a bright blast as the vessel was completely destroyed at sea. Speaking to reporters from the Oval Office shortly after the operation, Trump provided a real-time account. "Over the last few minutes, [we] literally shot out a boat, a drug-carrying boat," he said. "A lot of drugs in that boat. And you'll be seeing that, and you'll be reading about that. It just happened moments ago."

According to the president's official statement, the incident occurred while the vessel was in international waters, "transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States." He emphasized that "No U.S. Forces were harmed in this strike." The message concluded with a clear and potent warning intended to serve as a powerful deterrent. "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!!!!!!!!!!!"

The strike is the latest and most visceral manifestation of the Trump administration's heightened military and diplomatic campaign against what it has labeled narco-terror cartels operating from Venezuela.

As per Fox News, this campaign is built on the foundation of an executive order issued on the first day of the Trump administration, which designated drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. As Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell explained in a recent briefing, this designation "clearly identif[ies] them as a direct threat to the national security of the United States." He added that these cartels "have flooded the United States with deadly drugs, violent criminals and vicious gangs."

Top administration officials have consistently reiterated this firm stance. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters ahead of a trip to Mexico City, underscored the administration's resolve. "The President has been very clear that he's going to use the full power of America and the full might of the United States to take on and eradicate these drug cartels, no matter where they're operating from and no matter how long they've been able to act with impunity," Rubio said. "Those days are over." He noted that cocaine and fentanyl shipped from Venezuela often make their way to the U.S. through Puerto Rico.

The U.S. operation has involved a significant military buildup off the coast of Venezuela, a move that has drawn condemnation from China. As previously reported by Fox News, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson criticized the deployment of Aegis guided-missile destroyers, which include the USS Gravely and USS Jason Dunham, as a violation of the UN Charter and an interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs. The Trump administration, however, has remained undeterred, viewing the military presence as a necessary component of its anti-cartel mission.

The administration has directly and repeatedly accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of leading a "narco-terror cartel." In 2020, Maduro was indicted in New York on narco-terrorism and cocaine importation conspiracy charges, and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi recently announced a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest. The Justice Department has also reported seizing over $700 million in assets tied to Maduro.

President Trump’s statement on Tuesday directly linked the TdA vessel to the Venezuelan leader, asserting that the terrorist group was "operating under the control of Nicolas Maduro." Representative Carlos Gimenez, a Republican from Florida, also commented on the strike, identifying the vessel as belonging to the "Cartel of the Suns," another notorious Venezuelan drug trafficking organization. "This is going swimmingly," Gimenez wrote in a post on X. "We continue." As of late Tuesday, President Maduro had not publicly commented on the U.S. military strike.

🚨El primero de muchos en nuestra lucha contra el Cártel de los Soles, el Tren de Aragua y la narcodictadura asesina que pisotea a #Venezuela. Seguimos. pic.twitter.com/FN4x2CkxzD

— Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez (@RepCarlos) September 2, 2025