US strike on ‘drug boat’: Venezuela’s anger vs Trinidad’s praise

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: “The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in international waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States. 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.”

The President also shared a black-and-white video clip of a speedboat erupting in flames, though it was not clear enough to confirm the presence of 11 people or drug cargo.

US defense secretary: “A very clear message”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strike sent a direct warning to cartels across the hemisphere.

“You want to try to traffic drugs? It’s a new day. It’s a different day. And so those 11 drug traffickers are no longer with us, sending a very clear signal that this is an activity the United States is not going to tolerate in our hemisphere,” Hegseth said on Fox News.

He added that US Navy and air assets in the region would continue such missions, warning that “anyone else trafficking in those waters who we know is a designated narco terrorist will face the same fate.”

Venezuela accuses US of ‘imperialist threats’

In Caracas, President Nicolás Maduro denounced the strike as part of Washington’s alleged attempt to seize Venezuela’s vast oil and gas resources.

Maduro, while walking through his childhood neighborhood with supporters, said:

“In the face of imperialist threats, God (is) with us… From the neighborhoods of Caracas, I tell you, there will be peace in Venezuela, with sovereignty.”

State television described Maduro as “bathing in patriotic love” during his public appearance, while officials accused the U.S. of building a false drug-trafficking narrative to destabilize the government.

Trinidad and Tobago welcomes strike

In contrast, Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar praised the U.S. strike, calling it a blow against the cartels that have fueled violence in her country.

“I, along with most of the country, am happy that the US naval deployment is having success in their mission. The pain and suffering the cartels have inflicted on our nation is immense. I have no sympathy for traffickers; the U.S. military should kill them all violently,” she said in a statement.

Persad-Bissessar argued that cutting the flow of drugs, guns, and human trafficking would reduce violence in the Caribbean: “Our country has been ravaged by bloody violence and addiction because of the greed of the cartels. The slaughter of our people is fuelled by evil cartel traffickers.”

Escalating regional tensions

The operation comes as US naval forces expand their presence off Venezuela, with eight Navy ships deployed in the Caribbean and Pacific as part of counter-narcotics missions.

While Washington insists the strike targeted Tren de Aragua, which it has designated a terrorist organization, questions remain over the evidence linking the 11 killed directly to the gang or to Venezuelan President Maduro, whom Trump claims controls the group — a claim contradicted by US intelligence assessments.

With Venezuela mobilizing troops along its coast and allies in the Caribbean divided, the strike risks further straining US-Venezuela relations while reshaping regional security dynamics.