US Strikes Alleged Venezuelan Drug Vessel, Killing 11; Maduro Condemns US ‘Immoral Threat’

Caracas, September 3, 2025 (venezuelanalysis.com) – US military forces carried out a lethal strike Tuesday against a small vessel that was allegedly transporting drugs from Venezuela. Caracas has questioned the authenticity of the operation and expressed concerns about the escalating war threats against the entire Caribbean region.

This is the first known US military operation since the Donald Trump administration deployed over 4,000 troops and several warships to the southern Caribbean Sea, near Venezuela’s maritime borders, with the stated goal of combating drug cartels.

During a press conference at the White House on Tuesday, President Donald Trump claimed the vessel “came out of Venezuela” and it was carrying “a lot of drugs.”

Trump later shared a video on his Truth Social platform that appeared to show a speedboat exploding at sea after being fired upon by a missile. Eleven people on board were reportedly killed instantly in the strike, which the US  alleges took place in international waters within the US Southern Command’s “area of responsibility.”

“Let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs to the United States,” Trump warned in his post. 

According to the US government, the destroyed vessel belonged to the so-called “Tren de Aragua” gang, which was designated a “foreign terrorist organization” by the US in February. Washington alleges, without evidence, that the gang is led by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The “Tren de Aragua” was a prison-born gang and its operations inside Venezuela were dismantled in a raid in 2023.

In early August, Washington offered a US $50 million reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest, claiming he is also linked to the so-called “Cartel de los Soles.” There has never been any disclosed court-backed evidence that proves the cartel’s existence, nor Caracas’ connection to any drug trafficking or transnational criminal activities.

According to an Insight Crime report, there is also no reliable evidence that “Tren de Aragua” ever grew to become a regional threat or a transnational drug trafficking outfit.

According to the latest UN World Drug Report, Venezuela is neither a major drug producer nor a key trafficking corridor to the US. The UN data corroborates the most recent Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) report, which states that less than 10 percent of US-bound cocaine flows through Venezuela and the Eastern Caribbean corridor.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has championed regime change against Caracas, immediately backed Trump’s announcement, stating that the drug vessel “departed from Venezuela and was being operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization.”

Later, before departing for Mexico City and Quito, Rubio told reporters that the drugs on the destroyed vessel were “probably headed to Trinidad or some other country,” and that the US would continue its anti-narcotics “offensive” in the Caribbean.

Neither Trump nor Rubio provided any concrete evidence to verify the alleged drug cargo or identify those on board. They also failed to supply the coordinates of the vessel or specify the weapon used to destroy it. The video shows no dates or times, nor any indication of combat with US forces.

Rubio, once in Mexico, doubled down on the justification behind the operation, suggesting the US president had the authority to strike the vessel as it represented an “imminent threat” given the eventual destination of the cargo was the United States.

The military strike on the civilian vessel represents the first example of the application of Trump’s terrorist designation of cartels and gangs in Latin America. 

US experts have noted that the operation was opaque and could constitute an extrajudicial killing, since seizing drug shipments does not justify the use of lethal force in itself.

“Being suspected of carrying drugs doesn’t carry a death sentence,” wrote Adam Isacson of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), which is known for its criticism of the Venezuelan government, on X. He added that “lethal force against a civilian vessel in international waters is a war crime if not in self-defense.”

An independent investigation by La Tabla Blog found “no evidence of cargo verification or capture attempts,” clarifying that these are “mandatory steps” in any standard anti-narcotic operation. It concluded that there were signs of “possible staging to justify geopolitical narrative.” 

Venezuela’s Communications Minister Freddy Ñáñez questioned the authenticity of the video showing the struck speedboat, warning that it could be AI-generated. Citing Google’s AI Geminis findings, he noted a lack of realistic details and “almost cartoon-like” explosion.

Venezuelanalysis was not able to confirm that the video was AI-generated. 

Although he did not specifically mention the attack on the vessel, President Maduro said on Tuesday that Washington continues to peddle false narratives about Venezuela in order to justify intervention.

“They want our oil for free. We have the largest oil reserves in the world, as well as the fourth largest gas reserves and significant gold reserves,” he stressed during the inauguration of a health center in Caracas’ working-class El Valle neighbourhood.

Venezuela’s readies defense against US “immoral threat”

During an international press conference on Monday, President Maduro warned that Venezuela faces “the greatest threat against our continent in the last 100 years.”

Maduro claimed that eight military ships carrying 1,200 missiles and a nuclear submarine were currently targeting Venezuela. He described the threat as “extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral, and absolutely criminal” and blamed Marco Rubio for fueling Trump’s extremist approach toward Caracas.

The Venezuelan leader reaffirmed that the country is strengthening its defense capabilities against external aggression. He announced that over 8 million people have now joined the Bolivarian Militia, doubling its numbers following two consecutive weekends of voluntary recruitment.

Maduro also announced an upcoming training program for new militia members and the establishment of a communal militia combat unit as part of the broader defense strategy.

“If Venezuela were to be attacked, we would constitutionally declare the Republic in arms […] to guarantee the peace, sovereignty and development,” concluded Maduro.

Edited by Cira Pascual Marquina in Caracas.