A U.S. strike in the southern Caribbean hit a drug-carrying vessel that departed from Venezuela and was operated by the Tren de Aragua gang, killing 11 people. A social media post and a brief video were released showing a multi-engine speedboat engulfed in flames after a bright flash. The footage is grainy and does not clearly show the number of people aboard or visible stashes of drugs. Tren de Aragua began in a lawless Venezuelan prison more than a decade ago and expanded as millions of Venezuelans fled economic turmoil across the region.
The president said in a social media posting that 11 people were killed in the rare U.S. military operation in the Americas, a dramatic escalation in the Republican administration's effort to stem the flow of narcotics from Latin America. Trump also posted a short video clip of a small vessel appearing to explode in flames. "The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States," Trump said 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."
🇺🇸 ON VIDEO: U.S. Military Forces conducted a strike against Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists. The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the U.S. The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. pic.twitter.com/iszHE0ttxQ - The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 2, 2025 The video appears to show a long, multi-engine speedboat traveling at sea when a bright flash of light bursts over the craft. The boat is then briefly seen covered in flames.
The video, which is largely in black and white, is not clear enough to see if the craft is carrying as many as 11 people. The video also did not show any large or clear stashes of drugs inside the boat. Tren de Aragua originated more than a decade ago at an infamously lawless prison with hardened criminals in Venezuela's central state of Aragua. The gang has expanded in recent years as more than 7.7 million Venezuelans fled economic turmoil and migrated to other Latin American countries or the U.S.
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